KZN Human Settlements MEC Siboniso Duma says more arrests are imminent in the department’s crackdown on the illegal sale and occupation of RDP houses following the alleged kingpin’s appearance in court.

The eThekwini Municipality employee appeared at the Durban Magistrate’s Court on Monday (May 26) following her arrest last week. Duma, who is also the MEC for Transport, said operation #NenzaniLaEzweni has evolved and is making sweeping changes within the Human Settlements Department.

“This case will be a stepping stone in dealing with the cartel and those who are fraudulently assisting others in robbing deserving beneficiaries. One day it will be a benchmark in dealing with the rooting out of rogue elements within the department,” said Duma.

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The alleged kingpin was arrested for clandestinely accessing the Emergency Housing Response Fund and for being involved in the sale of RDP houses to undocumented foreign nationals. The department’s elite unit is also successfully dismantling a syndicate involved in massive fraud linked to the Floods Disaster Relief Fund.

“We kept this investigation and the identity of the suspect a secret because we know that there are more people involved in this matter,” said Duma. “During the course of the investigation we also established that there was a prisoner involved in the illegal sale of RDP houses. He was running the operation from his cell in prison.”

Duma said government employees, some under the department, were found to be also involved in the provincial-wide corruption.

“It would be premature at the moment to indicate how many people are involved in this case because some might want to plead out, but she must tell us who she was working with and how she manipulated the internal processes.”

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