Gumede unfazed by pre-trial delays, says she'll patiently wait
Zandile Gumede and several of her co-accused appeared in the Durban High Court on Monday on charges of fraud, corruption, money laundering and racketeering.
DURBAN - Former eThekwini Mayor Zandile Gumede said she would patiently wait until the conclusion of the case against her and 21 others because she was confident that justice would be served.
Gumede and several of her co-accused appeared in the Durban High Court on Monday on charges of fraud, corruption, money laundering and racketeering.
WATCH: #ZandileGumede makes her way into the Durban High Court. @NkoRaphael pic.twitter.com/1SsESXr5Yg
EWN Reporter (@ewnreporter) June 14, 2021
#ZandileGumede @NkoRaphael pic.twitter.com/XKOSNfNiGf
EWN Reporter (@ewnreporter) June 14, 2021
The National Prosecuting Authoritys Natasha Kara. @NkoRaphael #ZandileGumede pic.twitter.com/2NBSwEMIl0
EWN Reporter (@ewnreporter) June 14, 2021
The suspects are linked to a fraudulent eThekwini Municipality waste collection tender amounting to R320 million.
Pre-trial proceedings in the case were expected to get under way on Monday but have since been postponed to 30 November.
“The delay was caused by some of the accused changing their lawyers and that’s what affected what was supposed to happen today,” said the National Prosecuting Authority’s Sipho Ngwema.
The state has revised the number of counts against Gumede and her co-accused to 2,793.
She insists that she's innocent and claims the case was politically motivated.
But Ngwema said they were confident with the case they had placed before the court.
While the case poses a threat to Gumede's political career, she said she was unfazed by the delays.
“I’m a very strong person. These things [delays] happen. I’m a politician and I don’t play around."
The Durban High Court has declared 18 July 2022 as a possible trial date.
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