THE former eThekwini mayor Zandile Gumede and others, including former city manager Sipho Nzuza, are back in the Durban High Court on Monday, 20 November.
Gumede is on trial with 21 co-accused on charges that include conspiracy to commit corruption, corruption, fraud, money laundering, racketeering, contravention of the Municipal Finance Management Act, and contravention of the Municipal Systems Act in a contract worth more than R300 million related to a Durban Solid Waste (DSW) tender.
There have been delays in the trial. But on Monday, 20 November, it's expected that the matter will proceed and the retired head of DSW will proceed testifying.
In the last appearance on Wednesday, 15 November, Gumede screamed and broke down inside court as the case was about to be postponed for another day.
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When court proceedings started, Advocate Sicelo Zungu, representing Mthokozisi Nojiyeza who is accused six in the matter, asked the court for a postponement because he didn't have statements. Nojiyeza axed his lawyer Advocate Jay Naidoo, whom he shared with Gumede.
Judge Sharmaine Balton was not happy with this application and said Zungu’s client wasted the whole of last week when he didn't come to court and claimed to be sick.
Balton said the accused were paying a lot of money to their counsels and the adjournments were a big cost to the public, the court’s time and the other accused.
Balton said she was concerned by the manner in which the case continued, saying that the accused was playing a game and if all the accused did this, this matter would continue to face adjournments.
Advocate Zungu said the concerns of the judge were understood but she didn't know what he was facing as Nojiyeza's counsel.
And that was when Gumede cried.
“Ooh my God, I’d rather die instead of going through this. This prosecutor is playing games with me,” Gumede said, screaming and crying.
However, Balton adjourned the matter to November, 20 November.
