Ex-mayor, municipal official get bail

FORMER Buffalo City mayor Zukiswa Ncitha and East London support services head Ncumisa Sidukwana handed themselves over to the Hawks yesterday.

Arrest warrants for the two were issued last month when they were implicated in a 2015 fraud complaint laid by then city manager Andile Fani.

Ncitha, a member of the National Council of Provinces, and Sidukwana made a brief appearance in the East London Magistrate’s Court yesterday before they were released on R2 500 bail.

They appeared with Buffalo City chief financial officer Vincent Pillay, supply chain management general manager Thembelani Sali, and councillor and ANC regional deputy chairwoman Luleka SimonNdzele.

The sixth accused, attorney Matthew Moodley, of Matyeshana Moodley Incorporated, was sick and not in court.

The accused were arrested last month by a Hawks task team formed in Pretoria especially to eradicate corruption in municipalities in the Eastern Cape.

The accused are facing two charges of fraud and contravening the Municipal Finance Management Act.

All six are being represented by Advocate Mike Maseti. Pretoria prosecutor Diniso Ketani appeared for the state.

Ketani said the investigation was continuing and asked that the case be postponed to June 7.

Magistrate Rochelle Sam warned the accused not to communicate with any of the witnesses, including Fani, and postponed the case.

The charges emanate from an incident on May 7 2015 when Sidukwana allegedly submitted a memorandum to Fani, requesting an approval for a deviation in appointing Moodley for services.

According to the legal papers, Sali allegedly supported the memorandum and said that the accounting officer [Fani] had the authority to approve the deviation.

But Fani declined. It is the state’s case that three days later, Sidukwana had asked an employee to write a requisition requesting legal services and submit it to Sali’s department without supporting documents.

Moodley was hired and allegedly quoted R189 000 for his work.

Moodley was charged for allegedly billing the municipality for work done from May 7, while in fact he started working on May 13.

Pillay is charged for contravening section 174 (3) of the MFMA, but no details were given on the charge sheet.