Bail for ex-mayor in R15m fraud case
CONVICTED fraudster and former Buffalo City Metro mayor Zukisa Faku appeared in the East London Magistrate’s Court on Friday on fraud charges amounting to R15.6-million that the metro claims to have lost during her tenure.
Faku appeared alongside three other co-accused, namely Bhekisile Jacobs Mthembu, Mkhuseli Collins Ciyo and Pumeza Lujebe.
Faku is already serving a threeyear house arrest and community service sentence after being found guilty on nine counts of fraud in the East London Regional Court last year on a separate matter.
Her sentence relates to an incident where she misused her mayoral credit card while she was the metro mayor.
Fresh charges have now emerged, with the state claiming that between August 2009 and August 2010 BCM lost R15.6-million through wasteful expenditure.
Accused 1 on the case, Webster Monde Ndodana of Ndodana Construction Engineering appeared in the East London Magistrate’s Court on Friday March 17 and was released on R30 000 bail. His three co-accused were meant to have appeared with him but they did not, causing national Hawks head Lieutenant-General Berning Ntlemeza to warn that they should present themselves to the court to “avoid further embarrassment”.
It is alleged Faku requested Ndodana to provide a service to the city without following a competitive bidding process.
The firm was appointed in April 2009 to provide technical and management support services to improve infrastructure and related service delivery matters to BCM.
According to court documents, Lujebe – who worked in the cooperative governance and traditional affairs department – introduced Faku to Ndodana.
Ciyo is the metro’s former supply chain manager.
Mthembu is listed in court documents as an “associate of Ndodana Construction Engineers (Pty) Ltd who benefited directly or indirectly”.
The four accused have not yet been asked to plead.
They submitted affidavits to presiding magistrate Rochelle Sam stating should they be granted bail they would not abscond trial.
Faku is being represented by East London attorney Bulelwa Nomjana, Mthembu is being represented by Liaan Murray, Ciyo is being represented by Ntsikelelo Manyisane and Lujebe is being represented by Henry van Breda.
The accused were all granted R5 000 bail and the case was postponed to May 2 for further invest