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The Citizen
03-07-2025
- General
- The Citizen
Abandoned Winklespruit electrical substation left to rot
A DERELICT electrical substation in Winklespruit along Kingsway Road, situated between Superspar Winkle and the Winklespruit taxi rank, has become a refuge for the homeless and dumping ground for the area's impoverished residents. A concerned resident, who preferred to remain anonymous for fear of his safety, called into question how a society and its government can turn a blind eye to people living in such conditions. Also read: Emergency power outage in Isipingo 'It is appalling. I have never seen anybody live in such conditions. It begs the question, does the community not care anymore? eThekwini Municipality is creating a new facility in Lower Illovo for the Durban CBD's drug-addled and homeless people, yet they allow drugs to fester here around the Amanzimtoti area,' said the resident. He explained that numerous attempts to contact the municipality, which owns the land on which the substation used to operate, the health inspector and even Durban Solid Waste, were to no avail. The area's environmental health practitioner, Mendy Khanyile, has been made aware of the situation, and has assured that investigations are underway. Ward 97 councillor André Beetge said official statistics would have it that should SA be able to consistently build 500 houses per day, it would still not suffice in eradicating homelessness. This goes hand-in-hand with the unemployment rate for the first quarter of 2025 being at around 33%, which further increases to 43% by adding discouraged job seekers. He said that nobody wants to live in slum conditions, or be reliant on scavenging garbage for a meal or to keep warm, but questioned whether they have any options at all. Homelessness in itself is also not a crime. Also read: Lower Illovo marches against homeless shelter project 'Over the years we have bricked up, broken down or closed off such situations, but the problem doesn't go away, it merely migrates to another hollow space. The abandoned substation affords a measure of shelter to those brave enough to sleep with one eye open. While several recommendations have been made towards repurposing the station as an extension of the existing taxi rank, additional parking for the adjacent shopping centre or as an informal trader zone, all remains reliant on the electricity department's long-term planning and the possibility of using the site to facilitate increased future capacity in line with envisaged development,' Beetge said. He added that the matter cannot be left as it is in the short term, which necessitates a funded multi-department approach that includes electricity, health, environmental health, solid waste, transport authority, town planning and metro police to clean, maintain and enforce. 'Legislation needs to be implemented rather than serving as mere guidelines,' he concluded. For more South Coast Sun news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You can also check out our videos on our YouTube channel or follow us on TikTok. Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter and get news delivered straight to your inbox. Do you have more information pertaining to this story? Feel free to let us know by commenting on our Facebook page or you can contact our newsroom on 031 903 2341 and speak to a journalist. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
IOL News
22-06-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
EThekwini politics: Zandile Gumede sidelined as new task team emerges
Former eThekwini Mayor Zandile Gumede's political role in the ANC is uncertain after she was not included in the eThekwini task team list. Image: Doctor Ngcobo / Independent Newspapers The role of of Zandile Gumede, once a powerful ANC chairperson of eThekwini region and its former Mayor, appears to have hit a dead end in the region's politics following her exclusion from the soon-to-be announced new regional task team. In the leaked list, Gumede who is currently on trial for corruption involving the R320 million Durban Solid Waste tender scandal, has been left out of the regional task team and the additional members list, apparently ending her political role in the region's politics. Also excluded from the list is Gumede's once deputy chairperson Thembo Ntuli, who assumed the acting role in her absence. After she was arrested and charged for corruption, Gumede was subsequently removed from her mayoral position in 2018 and was also placed on the party's step aside policy, which effectively stripped her of her political powers. However, in 2022 she made a strong comeback when her faction elected her as regional chairperson, although she was absent from the conference because of the step aside rule. Topping the regional task team list as convener is Nigel Gumede who is making a strong political comeback in eThekwini politics. He was in charge of the Human Settlement Committee when James Nxumalo was the mayor of eThekwini and was in the faction that lost to Zandile Gumede in the 2022 elective conference. Nigel Gumede was in the faction that was viewed as being aligned to President Cyril Ramaphosa during the eThekwini elective conference and sources said his appointment will give the president direct control to one of the biggest and most influential regions in the country. Both Gumedes did not respond to requests for comment. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading The ANC held a service delivery summit in Durban on Sunday and the provincial task team coordinator Mike Mabuyakhulu said the process to appoint a new regional task team had been completed but the party will publicly announce the names next week after formally informing branches. 'In line with the ANC protocols, we are not going to announce the names of the people that will lead our regions as task teams before informing our branches first. Next week we will begin that process and announce the names,' said Mabuyakhulu. Although all the regions' terms had already expired, the party had an option to retain the regional committees until the next elective conference, however, sources within the party said the decision to remove them was prompted by branch audit outcomes. Sources said the audit outcomes revealed that many branch executive committee members were sympathetic to the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP), and the ANC felt it should disband regional committees as they appeared to have lost control of the branches. EThekwini, which is the only metro in the province and one of the largest regions in the country, with a voting population of close to two million, is the party's main strategic point. The region, which has been the party's stronghold for decades, fell to former president Jacob Zuma's MKP in last year's national general elections, relegating the ANC to third place in terms of electoral support. The region is expected to be a battleground between the ANC and the MKP ahead of next year's local government election. Despite the ANC's insistence that regional task teams are an opportunity for renewal, others view them as a strategic decision by Luthuli House to have direct control over branches in the province ahead of the party's elective conference in 2027. Sources said the changes will give party Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula an edge over other potential presidential candidates since he will have direct control of branches. Mbalula, Senzo Mchunu, and Kgosientsho Ramokgopa have been touted to replace Ramaphosa, who is serving his last term as ANC president.
IOL News
17-06-2025
- IOL News
Judge's frustration grows over repeated absences in Zandile Gumede's corruption trial
Former eThekwini mayor Zandile Gumede and second accused Mondli Michael Mthembu. Image: Nomonde Zondi A Judge in the corruption tender case of R320 million involving the former mayor of eThekwini Zandile Gumede has expressed displeasure as one of the accused did not make it to court nor report on time that she is still unwell to attend court proceedings. The matter was being postponed for the third time on Tuesday morning since Thursday last week, following the sickness of Bagcinile Cynthia Nzuza. Nzuza is the ninth accused in this matter and is the wife of the former City Manager of eThekwini, Sipho Nzuza. The case has 22 accused who face multiple charges which include money laundering, racketeering, fraud, corruption, and contravention of the Municipal Finance Management Act and the Municipal Systems Act, relating to the Durban Solid Waste (DSW) R320 million tender. Counsel for Bagcinile, Advocate Paul Jorgensen, told the court that his client was not present in court and that there was a medical certificate, he handed a copy of it to the court. He said a representative from the instructing attorney could not get in touch with her. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ Judge Sharmaine Balton said that this was unacceptable, as all accused individuals needed to be present in court. She said the accused were treated better in this matter compared to other criminal matters. Additionally, Balton said Bagcinile could have had someone else make a call on her behalf if she was too sick to speak. 'This is unacceptable, she has not bothered to call anyone,' she said. Judge Balton said she had two options, one was to issue a warrant of arrest for Bagcinile or issue a subpoena for the doctors. However, Jorgensen pleaded and said a warrant of arrest was harsh. He asked to at least find out what was going on. The former eThekwini city manager Sipho Nzuza's wife Bagcinele Nzuza. Image: Motshwari Mofokeng/African News Agency (ANA) Counsel appointed by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) adv. Viwe Notshe SC asked if the bail of Bagcinile was extended. He asked if it was not an option for the court to issue a warrant of arrest. 'Legal issue is, what is the basis for the postponement?' Notshe asked. He said this was the issue he forgot to raise while they were in chambers. All the counsels had been going in and out of chambers while the accused sat in the courtroom waiting for the matter to start. The accused looked displeased that there was going to be another postponement. After some pleading from Jorgensen and the judge expressing how the postponements have wasted time as she anticipated for the State to finish leading its evidence with the new witness. She said she knows that a warrant of arrest is harsh.
IOL News
10-06-2025
- IOL News
Zandile Gumede trial: Court hears evidence against ex Durban Solid Waste deputy head
Former mayor of eThekwini, Zandile Gumede. Image: Nomonde Zondi The fourth accused, Allan Robert Abbu, the former deputy head of the Durban Solid Waste (DSW) Unit, was aware that the waste collection tender evaluation process was advanced, according to a State witness who testified before the Durban High Court on Tuesday. Nevertheless, he halted the process, claiming to have a plan, and DSW hired seasoned contractors to collect waste. Abbu is accused, alongside the former mayor of eThekwini, Zandile Gumede, and 20 others, of numerous charges, including money laundering, racketeering, fraud, corruption, and contravention of the Municipal Finance Management Act and the Municipal Systems Act, relating to the R320 million DSW tender. The new witness, who cannot be named, started giving her evidence in chief on Monday. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad Loading She testified that her role in the eThekwini Municipality involved facilitating and coordinating unit score, providing admin support to the whole unit, providing an oversight role to the contract management section, preparing bid reports to different committees, attending committee meetings, and providing admin support to the whole unit, among others. So far, the court has learned that the DSW Unit had issued an open tender for waste collection in November 2017, and the closing date was December 13, 2017. However, the unit stated that it received numerous applications and would not be able to complete the tender process. As a result, they approached the Bid Adjudication Committee (BAC) to seek authority to invite quotations from experienced service providers to collect waste. The unit said this was an emergency as contracts of individuals collecting waste at that time were set to expire on December 31, 2017. The unit said it was imperative to hire experienced service providers. On December 19, 2017, the BAC approved the quotations of the service providers who are also accused in this matter. When DSW was motivating for this, it said there were in-house refuse collection services. However, the unit said there was intimidation of staff collecting waste, stoning, and torching of municipal vehicles. However, the State witness informed the court that the capturing of the bidders began on December 13.. She said she had asked for additional staff members from two units to speed up the process and evaluation, tax compliance, and tender amount for each response by December 15. However, she said it had not been finalised. Counsel appointed by the National Prosecuting Authority, advocate Viwe Notshe SC, asked the witness what would happen after the evaluation was done. 'After evaluation was completed, the bid adjudication report was going to the BAC,' the witness responded.
IOL News
30-05-2025
- IOL News
Urgent tender processes revealed in Zandile Gumede's corruption trial
Former mayor of eThekwini Municipality Zandile Gumede and her sister in-law, Zano Maphumulo. Image: Nomonde Zondi The 14-day cooling-off period did not apply when the eThekwini Municipality awarded the R320 million Durban Solid Waste (DSW) tender in December 2017 due to a deviation from standard tender procedures, a State witness told the Durban High Court on Friday. This is because Section 36 of the Supply Chain Management policy had to be put into effect at this time, and the municipality needed to urgently get service providers to collect waste. The State witness, who cannot be named as per a court order, said this during her cross-examination with defence counsel, Advocate Credo Mlaba. Mlaba is counsel for former city manager Sipho Nzuza, who is the third accused in the matter. Nzuza and former mayor of eThekwini Municipality Zandile Gumede are charged with 20 others for money laundering, racketeering, fraud, corruption, and contravention of the Municipal Finance Management Act and the Municipal Systems Act relating to the DSW R320 million tender. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ Earlier this week, the witness who worked for the tenders and contracts unit within the municipality told the court that she was forced to issue letters of award to service providers to collect waste without allowing the 14-day cooling-off period. She said she was forced to break internal controls by issuing letters of appointment to companies that had been recommended to collect waste without Nzuza's signature. The court has heard that due to the urgency of the matter, the Solid Waste Unit had gone to the Bid Adjudication Committee (BAC) to ask for authority to source quotations from experienced service providers to collect waste in the city. This is because the contracts of the current service providers at the time were expiring on December 31, 2017. This came after the unit received a lot of bidders in November for this tender and realised that they were not going to finalise the process on time. Additionally, counsel for the fifth accused, Sandile Ngcobo, advocate Jimmy Howse SC, started his cross-examination and referred the witness to a transcript of a BAC meeting on December 19, 2017. The witness attended this meeting. He asked her if Ngcobo was referring to the Solid Waste Unit when he said the compliance checks for the service providers need to be thoroughly done. 'That is correct, Mr Howse. He instructed at the meeting,' she said. The witness also agreed with Howse that Ngcobo said the Solid Waste Unit could get any service provider as long as they were experienced. The court has heard that compliance checks were not done. Additionally, the matter had to be adjourned early as one of the accused, Bhekokwakhe Phewa, was sick. The matter was adjourned until Monday.
