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KwaZulu-Natal Director-General Dr Nonhlanhla Mkhize.
Photo by Gallo Images/Darren Stewart
- The director-general in the Office of the Premier in
KwaZulu-Natal, Nonhlanhla Mkhize, has been arrested on allegations of
defeating the ends of justice and intimidation. - This after the chairperson of the Mhlathuze Water Board reported
allegations of the irregular appointment of service providers. - Mkhize is accused of sending an individual to the home of the water
board chairperson calling on her to cease the investigation and hand over
a forensic investigative report.
The Hawks have arrested the director-general in the Office of the
Premier in KwaZulu-Natal along with her partner after they allegedly tried to
intimidate the chairperson of the Mhlathuze Water Board.
Nonhlanhla Mkhize, 58, and her partner, 47, were arrested following
extensive investigations, Hawks spokesperson Brigadier Thandi Mbambo said,
adding they would “appear in court soon”.
The Hawks National Clean Audit Task Team of the Serious Commercial Crime
Investigation swooped on Mkhize’s home on Monday morning and arrested her on
allegations of defeating the ends of justice and intimidation.
Mbambo said the arrests followed the chairperson of Mhlathuze Water
Board reporting allegations of the irregular appointment of service providers
without following supply chain management protocols.
READ | Mr X tells Zondo commission that
Mhlathuze Water engineer used his company to move funds
There are also allegations of contravention of the Public Finance
Management Act for “not complying with the operational policies of the
public entity”.
“Investigations revealed that some senior officials are implicated
in the irregularities which amounted to around R37 million.”
Intimidation at home
Mbambo said following the investigation and compilation of the forensic
report related to the irregular appointment, the chairperson of the Mhlathuze
Water Board allegedly received a visit from an unknown person at her home
claiming to be from the National Intelligence Agency.
The individual claimed to have been sent by a senior manager in the
premier’s office.
“The alleged individual threatened the chairperson with arrest and
demanded the forensic report. He further insisted that the complainant must
stop with the investigation.”
Mbambo
said:
It later emerged that the said person was not from the National Intelligence Agency and that he was in cahoots with persons of interests implicated in the investigation.
She added the operation was ongoing and a further four people implicated
in malfeasance at the bulk water utility were arrested on charges of corruption,
fraud and money laundering.
All six were expected in the Durban Magistrate’s Court soon, Mbambo
said.
Among those arrested include a senior official at the Mhlathuze Water Board
and service providers, she added.
“More arrests are imminent.”
The
Office of the Premier was mum on the issue, saying: “Respectfully, at this
stage, the Office of the Premier is not in a position to make any comment on
the matter as it is in the hands of law enforcement authorities.”
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