uThukela District Municipality municipal manager Langelihle Jili was arrested by the Hawks during a sting operation on Wednesday evening, October 21. However, he had not been officially charged at the time of publication.
A fraud case was also opened at Ladysmith SAPS.
The arrest comes weeks after KwaZulu-Natal Finance MEC Francois Rodgers announced at a public meeting that he would arrange a meeting with the Hawks to discuss allegations of corruption at uThukela District Municipality.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in uThukela confirmed that it had received reports of Jili’s arrest in Ladysmith and said it was in possession of a case reference number.
The party has previously raised concerns about alleged financial misconduct and the use of public funds at the municipality. It also said it had submitted information to the Hawks regarding suspected wrongdoing.
The uThukela District Municipality’s communications office was contacted for comment but had not responded by the time of publication.
The Hawks have also been approached for comment. They acknowledged the media enquiry and indicated that they would provide a response or share available information as soon as possible.
The Ladysmith Herald will publish further information as it becomes available.
