The bail hearing of uThukela District Municipal Manager Langelihle Jili and his co-accused, Bongumenzi Dlamini, concluded in the Durban Magistrate’s Court this afternoon (October 30).

Jili and Dlamini are both charged with corruption. Jili was arrested after he allegedly accepted a R100,000 bribe from a municipal service provider in an undercover trap operation authorised by the DPCI (Department of Priority Crime Investigation).

Investigating officer in the Serious Corruption Investigation Unit, Warrant Officer Nkosinathi Dlamini, testified in the bail hearing that, following his arrest, Jili attempted to bribe police officers, offering them R600,000 to let him go.

Checkers cooler bag filled with cash

The R600,000 was delivered in a Checkers cooler bag to the offices of the Commercial Crimes Unit in Durban by Dlamini, who was subsequently arrested as well. Both men made their first appearance in court on October 23 and their bail hearing commenced on October 27.

Bail judgment on Tuesday

Caxton Local Media has confirmed with the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) that judgment in the bail hearing will be delivered by the presiding magistrate, Garth Davis, at 14:00 on Tuesday, November 3.

In the meantime, uThukela District Municipality has appointed Mr OS Mnguni (general manager: Corporate Services) as the new acting municipal manager, following a council resolution adopted on October 29.

The appointment follows the decision to place Jili on special leave.

uThukela mayor under fire from DA

uThukela District Mayor Inkosi Ntandoyenkosi Shabalala, was expected to testify today in support of Jili’s return to work, should he be released on bail. However, defence attorney Paul Jorgensen explained that a decision had been taken to accept that Jili would not be able to return to work if it were made a condition of his bail.

In a letter Jorgensen submitted to the court yesterday, Shabalala stated that uThukela Municipality “…supports that the municipal manager is innocent until proven guilty and is willing to accept Mr Jili back to work.”

DA uThukela chairman Cllr Thys Janse van Rensburg, who spoke out strongly against the letter, accused Shabalala of being more concerned with protecting the corruption-accused municipal manager than protecting the public while the Hawks investigate.

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