ANC KZN spokesperson Nhlakanipho Ntombela said that Zandile Gumede refused to appear before the party’s integrity commission on the date that was given to her, saying that she wanted her lawyers involved in the matter.
Former eThekwini Mayor Zandile Gumede (centre) and and some of her co-accused appear in the Durban Commercial Crimes Court on 10 September 2020 on charges relating to corruption. Picture: Nkosikhona Duma/EWN
DURBAN – Former eThekwini mayor, Zandile Gumede, said that she wanted to consult her lawyers before appearing before the KwaZulu-Natal African National Congress (ANC)’s provincial integrity commission.
Gumede faces charges of fraud, corruption and racketeering linked to a 2016 waste collection tender in the eThekwini Municipality worth over R400 million.
She is among 10 members of the ANC in the KwaZulu-Natal who’ve been asked to step aside from their official positions due to criminal charges against them.
ANC KZN spokesperson Nhlakanipho Ntombela said that Gumede refused to appear before the party’s integrity commission on the date that was given to her, saying that she wanted her lawyers involved in the matter.
Eyewitness News understands that she also asked to appear together with Mondli Mthembu, who is also charged in the corruption case against her.
However, the ANC rejected this request, saying that she must appear individually.
Ntombela said that they were surprised by Gumede’s intention to involve lawyers in an ANC internal matter.
“That is not a court process, it’s an internal process of the ANC trying to understand what is the situation with your matter and its impact on the ANC.”
Gumede has referred all queries to the ANC.
