DURBAN - The iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority (iSimangaliso) said it was shocked after learning that two of its officials were arrested on allegations of corruption and extortion but also wanted to clarify distorted facts that were published.
iSimangaliso spokesperson Bheki Manzini said it was imperative that iSimangaliso corrects facts erroneously published and circulating on the media platforms.
iSimangaliso clarified the following:
– According to the charge sheet, the accused are charged for an estimated amount of R600 000 – not R100 million, as was alleged in the media reports.
– There are two charges levelled against the accused, which can be summed up as corruption (accepting a benefit), and extortion (through inducing fear or subjecting a service provider to become fearful).
– iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority is not a municipality but a public entity, reporting to the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment.
– Only two of the three mentioned officials are the employees of iSimangaliso: Caiphus Khumalo and Nonku Lafuleni-Zungu.
Manzini said the earlier information erroneously published in media reports was not verified with iSimangaliso before publishing.
“iSimangaliso is a proponent of clean governance and is against any form of corruption. It has a code of conduct, which will be implemented accordingly,” Manzini said. “We have full faith in our justice system, and further subscribe to the principle of ‘innocent until proven guilty’.”
Manzini added that iSimangaliso would keep the public informed of all developments regarding its operations following the arrests.
On Tuesday, national police spokesperson Brigadier Vishnu Naidoo had said two municipal officials and a civilian were arrested in connection with tender irregularity, fraud, corruption, extortion, theft and racketeering cases in excess of R100 million.
Naidoo said investigation revealed that some of the suspects were allegedly demanding money from various service providers that were contracted to do work for the St Lucia Municipality (Isimangaliso Wetland Park) in Mtubatuba.
It was further established that money was paid into accounts linked to at least three suspects.
Naidoo said as part of first phase of this investigation, the Cold Case Unit worked closely with the Directorate for Public Prosecution in KZN and embarked on an undercover sting operation which resulted in the arrest of three suspects on December 17.
Those arrested are Nokuthula Lafuleni-Zungu, who worked as the building capacity manager of Isimangaliso Wetland Park Municipality; Caiphus Khumalo, a director of Isimangaliso Wetland Park St Lucia; and Nkosinathi Victor Ntshangase, who is a friend to Zungu and a game ranger for Isimangaliso Wetland Park.
The trio appeared in the Empangeni Magistrate’s Court on Monday and were all remanded into custody for a formal bail application to be heard at the same court on December 29.
Naidoo said further arrests were imminent as investigations were continuing.
Daily News