Hold onto your hats, Durban! The eThekwini Municipality is embroiled in a R1.8 million scam where millions were spent on LED streetlights that never saw the light of day. A whistle-blower has spilled the beans, revealing how municipal officials were ticking off deliveries on paper while conveniently keeping the actual products (the lights, in this case) off the radar.
In a thread of juicy emails to the City Manager Musa Mbhele, the whistle-blower detailed how staff would create the illusion of stock during audits by moving empty boxes around. Not exactly the shining example of good governance, right?
But here’s where it gets even more interesting: two Mozambican men were caught at the Kosi Bay border with stolen streetlights hidden in a bakkie. Turns out these weren’t just any stolen lights – they were part of a broader scheme involving dodgy supply chain deals and corrupt officials who were allegedly pocketing cash for turning a blind eye. The lights, supposedly delivered to the city, were only there on paper, with taxpayers footing the bill.
According to the whistle-blower, the municipality paid up to R3,600 per LED light – when you could have picked up the same light for a mere R1,500. Classic case of paying way more for less.
Gugu Sisilana, the municipality’s spokesperson, confirmed they are investigating the claims, but hey, she’s keeping tight-lipped for now. With the case still in court, we’ll have to wait and see whether anyone’s about to be “illuminated” for their role in this shady deal.
In a nutshell: eThekwini’s had a bright idea – buy fancy streetlights – but the lights just got dimmer when it turned out they were paying top dollar for an invisible product. We can only hope the investigation shines a light on who’s really responsible for this mess. Stay tuned!