Former Amathole District Municipality mayor Nomasikizi Konza could not contain her excitement when she and four co-accused were found not guilty by the East London regional court on Friday.
The mayor was alleged to have “bullied” a number of municipal officials into signing off payment vouchers authorising the transfer of more than R2.5m into the account of Miss Amathole Heritage in 2014 and 2015.
Konza, together with some of her co-accussed, screamed, shed tears and embraced in lengthy hugs when the not guilty verdict was read out in court.
In the dock was Konza, former ADM ANC councillor Nanziwe Rulashe - who organised the beauty pageant - Rulashe’s younger sister Anita, Sigcine Mbixana and Mawande Njeza, who were all acquitted on all three counts of fraud by magistrate Nomthandazo Vabaza.
They were charged with fraud, with the state alleging that the funds were irregularly siphoned off under the pretext of funding the annual beauty pageant, while some of it was used to buy two cars registered in Rulashe’s name.
In the wake of Friday's judgment, they now plan to sue the state for “wrongful” arrest and prosecution.
Read more in tomorrow's Dispatch...