Call for witnesses in DSW fraud case to be protected
There are calls for the witnesses in the Durban Solid Waste tender fraud trial to be protected.
Proceedings had to be postponed on Monday after the court heard there was a shooting at the home of the witness that was due to take the stand.
It's alleged a shot was fired through the window of one of the rooms over the weekend, but no one was hurt.
The Durban High Court heard the witness, a municipal official, was still too shaken up to take the stand.
Former eThekwini mayor Zandile Gumede and 21 corruption co-accused are on trial over the multi-million tender.
DA eThekwini caucus leader Thabani Mthethwa says it's clear there are efforts to throw the case off track.
"Around 2017/18, when the SIU started investigating this - the staff at SIU were threatened, and they had to have security at home and even their families were threatened.
"So it does show that in eThekwini, there's this organised crime syndicate that is hell-bent on looting coffers and the resources of the municipality to a point where anyone who tries to fight for the interest of the ratepayers is seen to be an obstacle, and that person must be dealt with."
