ANC leaders face criminal charges for collapsed water project scandal

A report by the administrator of the beleaguered uMkhanyakude District Municipality has recommended that two ANC leaders should face criminal charges for allegedly accepting a bribe from a company that was awarded the multi-million rand tender to install water in the northern KwaZulu-Natal Municipality.

The administrator, Bamba Ndwandwe, has recommended that the two leaders in the ANC Nokuhamba Nyawo Region (uMkhanyakude) be charged for allegedly accepting a bribe from the company which left the project incomplete.

The two leaders, whose identities are still being withheld as they haven't responded to the allegations, are alleged to have pocketed R10 million from the water project called Nondabuya Water Scheme.

The incomplete R150 million project, whose tender was won by Minathi Consulting Engineering, started in 2019 and was meant to benefit 2400 households. In a sworn affidavit, Minathi Mthimkhulu, the owner of the company that won the tender, said that one of the reasons the project couldn't be completed was because some of the funds were diverted to the ANC leaders in the region.

Ndwandwe was appointed last month to administer the municipality, which was followed by resistance from staff and managers in the ANC-led municipality.

The officials in the municipality defied a directive from KwaZulu-Natal Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC Thulasizwe Buthelezi to put the cash-strapped municipality under administration.

Ndwandwe has written to Buthelezi to take action against those accused of taking bribes.

From a report seen by the Sunday Tribune's sister title, Isolezwe, Mthimkhulu gave the implicated ANC leaders 10% of funds from the water tender. The funds were paid in different caches each time Minathi Consulting was paid for the tender.

"Minathi paid them in 14 caches, in amounts ranging between R500 000 and R1.7 million (2019- 2002). The money was deposited in different bank accounts. These bank accounts were of companies belonging to one person. The owner of Minathi would then fetch the money from the owner of these companies and pay ... (ANC leader's name withheld)," reads Ndwandwe's report.

The report reveals that the municipality ended up refusing to pay Minathi, as there were lots of funds already paid out yet there was little progress in the project. Minathi then served a letter terminating its contract with the municipality, stopping the water project.

Buthelezi's spokesperson, Senzelwe Mzila, acknowledged receipt of Ndwandwe's report and advised that the MEC will take appropriate steps.The Speaker of the uMkhanyakude, Solomon Mkhombo, wants Minathi to pay back the money. Mkhombo claims Minathi was overpaid by R25 million.

"We instituted an investigation which found that we overpaid this company. We are in court. The Auditor General found that we overpaid by R25 million. We want to know where this money went," said Mkhombo.

Mkhombo said the CoGTA MEC is using the corruption issue to fight political battles.

Mkhombo's claims resonated with the coordinator of ANC KZN's task team, Mike Mabuyakhulu, who accused the CoGTA MEC of being selective when placing municipalities under administration.

“We are very worried about Buthelezi’s administration of municipalities. His intervention as an MEC is very selective because he only intervenes in ANC-led municipalities,” said Mabuyakhulu, who was a guest on Sizwe Blose's News Avenue podcast.