The fraud and corruption charges levelled against former Buffalo City Metro (BCM) mayor Zukisa Faku, prominent businessman Monde Ndodana, and seven others accused of defrauding the metro of R15.6-million, were today withdrawn by the East London regional court.
The charges stemmed from when Faku was a mayor in 2009.
The state had alleged that Faku had hired Ndodana’s firm, to provide technical and management support service to improve BCM’s infrastructure and service delivery between August 2009 and August 2010, without following a competitive bidding process.
Ndodana’s firm, Ndodana Consulting Engineers (Pty) LTD,  was allegedly paid R15.6-million from the mayor’s discretionary fund during the period, although the state claimed there was no evidence of work being done.
Faku, Ndodana, together with Ndodana’s wife Mandisa, Bhekisile Mthembu, Mkhuseli Ciyo, Pumeza Lujabe, Ivan Falleyn, Editha Barnard and Mninawa Mketo, were in the dock today.
Speaking on behalf of some of the accused, attorney Vuyani Majebe today said they always knew there was “no substance in these charges which were just manufactured to impugn the reputation of my clients”...