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Durban - Lawyers representing Thembinkosi Ngcobo, the former head of the Parks, Recreation and Culture (PRC) unit in eThekwini Municipality, are pressing the State to act against individuals implicated in the alleged acts of corruption that led to Ngcobo’s dismissal from his job in the City.
Ngcobo was fired by the municipality in 2021 because of allegations that he had failed to report corruption.
At the centre of the allegations was that two, now former, employees that worked with Ngcobo had allegedly paid a supplier of the municipality who had not done any work.
One of the employees allegedly involved in this alleged corrupt transaction was a former senior government official. She was in the employ of the municipality at the time of the alleged acts.
The supplier had laid a complaint with the municipality which led to the disciplinary matter against Ngcobo.
In the course of disciplining Ngcobo, the City claimed it had opened a criminal case against those involved.
Ngcobo’s lawyers have now written to the police demanding an update on the investigation being conducted into the alleged wrongdoing.
A letter from Gwacela and Associates addressed to the police dated April 17 stated: “We act for and are instructed by Mr Ngcobo … we request that you furnish us with all the documents in the docket and confirm whether an investigation has been finalised in this matter; if not why has it taken so long.
“We also request that you confirm in writing if the police have managed to effect an arrest in this matter and what state are those criminal proceedings.”
Ngcobo said this week that it was strange that in spite of him not being accused of the corruption but getting fired, nothing had happened to the people that were implicated in the alleged corruption.
“The City had said it had opened a criminal case and yet there has been no movement on that case; it does not seem that the City had intended to act, that was just a ruse to get rid of me,” he said.
Attempts to get comment from the officials involved were unsuccessful.
Approached for comment, the eThekwini Municipality referred the matter to the police.
Provincial police spokesperson Constable Thenjiswa Ngcobo said: “Durban Central police are investigating a fraud case following an incident in which an undisclosed amount of money was allegedly paid into a wrong account.
“The matter is still under investigation.”