FORMER mayor Zandile Gumede and 21 others, including former city manager Sipho Nzuza, are facing charges of conspiracy to commit corruption, fraud, money laundering, racketeering, and contravention of the Municipal Systems in relation to an R300 million Durban Solid Waste contract.
They all appeared in the Durban High Court on Monday, 11 March.
When the court began, the state revealed that they'd give an update about the very first witness who testified in this trial but didn't finish.
The state prosecutor, Advocate Reshma Athmaran, said they will bring the witness affidavit on Thursday, 14 March.
This first witness, who took to the stand in 2023 February was an employee of the eThekwini Municipality as head of city integrity investigation unit (CIIU), but he didn't finish, and another witness was brought to court.
This witness was booked off sick after the cross-examination by the defence.
Prosecutor Athmaran said they would also launch an application for witnesses who would like to testify virtually.
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However, a witness - the head of the municipality's administration unit - began testifying.
Led by the state prosecutor Advocate Bongiwe Mbambo, the witness told the court that she was employed by the municipality in 1996.
She said that in 2015 she was appointed the head of the administration unit.
"The unit supports the council's decision-making process. We are the custodians of council records, and we keep records of council meetings," she said.
She said they compile agendas and decisions by the council and meetings.
"In 2019 I was requested various bid minutes by the investigating officer. I then asked him to provide proof of where he came from and that he should be given the information he needed. After he had provided what I needed, then I gave him the bid minutes that he requested," she said.
The witness is expected to proceed with being cross-examined by the defence on Tuesday, 12 March.
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