eThekwini Municipality’s fight against internal corruption has yielded more results after two men were arrested in uMbumbulu, south of Durban, for allegedly running a diesel theft and resale operation.
According to a statement by the City, investigators swooped in on a private property in the Sawpits area following reports of several truck drivers spotted offloading fuel at the site. On arrival, officials found a municipal water tanker driver and a ward committee member surrounded by multiple containers filled with diesel.
Jimmy Ngcobo, Head of the City Integrity and Investigations Unit (CIIU), said the suspects were caught red-handed attempting to sell the stolen diesel at R400 per container to a local truck operator. He also revealed that the investigators were offered a R50,000 bribe, which they firmly rejected.
“These are the same individuals we previously investigated for selling municipal water. Their actions show a disturbing pattern of abusing City resources for personal gain,” said Ngcobo.
Read | Off-duty Ethekwini Municipal Employee Caught Red-handed Siphoning Diesel
A criminal case has been opened at the uMbumbulu SAPS, and the suspects have already made their first court appearance.
The municipality reiterated its commitment to rooting out corruption within its ranks and warned that more arrests were on the horizon as part of ongoing investigations into diesel theft, water tampering, and other resource misuse cases.
“This kind of criminal activity steals from residents and directly affects service delivery. We will not rest until every link in these syndicates is exposed,” Ngcobo added.
Members of the public are encouraged to report fraud and corruption by calling 0800 20 20 20 or emailing ombuds@durban.gov.za.
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