A power outage on Monday resulted in the postponement of the Nelson Mandela funeral fraud and corruption trial involving several Buffalo City Metro officials and former officials.
The National Prosecuting Authority regional spokesperson in the Eastern Cape, Luxolo Tyali, said the trial at the Bhiso High Court, which was hit by the withdrawal of top lawyers in March, has been moved to Tuesday.
Senior counsel Pat Jefferys and advocate Matthew Mpahlwa have since recused themselves from representing former metro deputy executive mayor Temba Tinta citing a lack of communication with their attorney of record Ncumisa Nongogo of Malusi and Co Attorneys in East London.
The duo said Nongogo told them on March 22 that she had not received any legal fees from Tinta. She promised to discuss the matter with Tinta and revert back, but failed to do so.
Tinta is charged with then metro executive mayor Zukiswa Ncita, former ANC chairperson in the WB Rubusana region Phumlani Mkolo, former Eastern Cape health MEC Sindiswa Gomba, several administration staff, business people, and their business entities.
They are accused of creating and participating in a scheme designed to defraud the metro of R10-million under false pretense that the funds were going to be utilised for memorial events in the build-up to Mandela’s funeral in December 2013.
“All the accused have pleaded not guilty, and tomorrow the prosecution will lead its first oral evidence. The whole term, which will end on 10 June 2022, has been set aside for this trial,” Tyali said.
Senior lawyers withdraw from Mandela funeral corruption trial
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