Intaka trial just a ‘media parade’
FORMER chief financial officer of Sol Plaatje Municipality, Nandi Madiba, was the only accused to complain about the endless delays in the R2.7 million Intaka fraud and corruption trial in the Northern Cape High Court on Friday.
Madiba appeared alongside former ANC provincial chairman John Block, former Sol Plaatje municipal mayor Patrick Lenyibi, former municipal manager Frank Mashilo, Intaka director Dr Gaston Savoi and his business partner Fernando Praderi in connection with six water purifiers and chemicals that were purchased by Sol Plaatje Municipality from Intaka Holdings (Pty) Ltd, which were never installed in Ritchie as intended.
Madiba told the court that she was unemployed and could not find a job, while she was also inconvenienced by having to travel “up and down” for the trial that has already spanned over seven years.
Madiba, who is representing herself, added that the trial was nothing but an “annual media parade” that reconvened in February and August each year for another postponement.
She stated that her reputation was tarnished, where her name was circulated “all over social media platforms” because of the charges against her.
Contrary to claims that she knew nothing about the charges, State Advocate Hannes Cloete said that the indictment and a full copy of the docket had been provided to her “some time ago”.
Cloete said that the State was not “unsympathetic” to the plight of the accused, where the three Intaka matters in the Northern Cape could not begin until there was an outcome on the permanent stay of prosecution application as well as the KwaZulu-Natal trial that has yet to be concluded.
Cloete added that representations, which were made by the accused to the national office, would also have to be considered by the State. “I thought that we were seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, where there would be some movement in the prosecution, but we are actually in a worse position with the 2017 application.”
Acting Judge Lawrence Lever granted a postponement until August 25 and extended the bail of the accused.
The Intaka dialysis machine fraud and corruption case, involving the purchase of six dialysis machines by the Department of Health from Skyros Health (Pty) Ltd, was also postponed until August 25 in the Northern Cape High Court.