Official charged with corruption returns to work

A SENIOR ethekwini official who is being investigated for tender rigging, fraud and corruption has returned to work.

Zandile Sithole, the deputy head of the supply chain management, walked into her office on Monday, much to the surprise of her colleagues, as she is yet to be cleared of the charges she faced.

Sithole was suspended in September 2017 amid claims that she received kickbacks from companies that got municipal contracts.

She faced nine charges related to contravening the supply chain management policy, code of conduct and the Municipal Systems Act.

The Hawks confirmed that they were investigating her.

Sithole made headlines when her internal disciplinary hearing was disrupted by members of the Federation for Radical Economic Transformation (FRET) a year ago.

Subsequently, the city’s head of the legal unit, Gideon Phungula, was fired when he tried to manipulate her hearing.

This week, city manager Sipho Nzuza confirmed that they had set aside Sithole’s suspension but that charges had not been dropped against her. He said Sithole would not be involved in the procurement operations until her disciplinary hearing had been finalised and her duties were delegated to others in the meantime.

“We were advised by our legal department that it was illegal to keep her on suspension for more than six months. She was receiving a full salary while at home,” said Nzuza.

Nzuza could not explain what led to the delay in Sithole’s hearing.

Sithole’s application to have her suspension lifted was dismissed by the Bargaining Council in April.

Her hearing has been shrouded in controversy, threats and intimidation.

FRET disrupted Sithole’s hearing in March last year when they stormed the venue and allegedly threatened presiding officers.

The men were heard questioning the role of the senior counsel on an internal matter, when an audio recording of the incident was leaked. They said Sithole was a “champion” of radical economic transformation and demanded she be reinstated.

In another leaked telephone recording after her suspension, Phungula was heard allegedly plotting to manipulate Sithole’s hearing by removing the senior legal counsel, in favour of appointing a junior lawyer.

His aim was to have Sithole reinstated.

He claimed that certain politicians wanted Sithole back in her role. Phungula faced a disciplinary hearing, was found guilty and was fired.