Numerous luxury cars have been seized, with their value-adding up to several million rands.
East Coast Radio reporter Nushera Soodyal took to Twitter on Thursday to post pictures and videos of several luxury cars seized during this morning’s raid on former eThekwini mayor Zandile Gumede’s home.
The cars are worth several million rands in total.
It was reported earlier on Thursday that the Hawks and the Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU) arrived at Gumede’s Somerset Park, Umhlanga property, reportedly to seize assets worth R51 million.
The four cars featured in one of Soodyal’s tweets appear to be a Lamborghini Huracan Spyder, one older and one newer model Porsche Cayman, and an Audi RS3 Sportback.
Another tweet indicates that yet another car was seized from Gumede’s Umhlanga home, this time a Mercedes AMG GT S.
In another tweet, these and other cars can be seen. It is unclear how many have been seized at this point or their exact value.
Soodyal also posted a video in which Hawks officer Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi updated the media on the search and seizures operation, saying they still need to “asses what transpired in terms of the quantities and monies involved in terms of all the assets that we have now”.
Mulaudzi said there were 10 houses the Hawks and the AFU visited today for the joint operation, and those immovable properties, as well as luxury vehicles, were seized.
According to the officer the “operation went well” and those involved “managed to achieve our objective”, while adding there were some challenges encountered that would be dealt with by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) at a later stage.
#ZandileGumede These are some of the vehicles that were seized today in the search and seizure operations from #Gumedes co-accused @ECR_Newswatch pic.twitter.com/MmWKa0gLHd
— Nushera Raisa Soodyal (@nushera) October 10, 2019
#ZandileGumede they will be kept here until the end of the trial @ECR_Newswatch pic.twitter.com/kNZEeDeZkt
— Nushera Raisa Soodyal (@nushera) October 10, 2019
#ZandileGumede The AFU have seized yet another vehicle at a home in Umhlanga. @ECR_Newswatch pic.twitter.com/4Zrj1O2gbP
— Nushera Raisa Soodyal (@nushera) October 10, 2019
The Hawks, Brigadier Hangwani Malaudzi gives us an update on the search and seizures carried out at #ZandileGumede home and her co-accused. He says they only seized immovable assets from Gumede. When asked how many, he said we only went to the one house @ECR_Newswatch pic.twitter.com/Wx39emhk7h
— Nushera Raisa Soodyal (@nushera) October 10, 2019
The raid is reportedly in relation to the charges stacked up against the embattled former mayor.
Gumede’s legal team reportedly made contact with investigators, reports eNCA, and volunteered to come to the property to receive the notice, but the Hawks and the AFU said Gumede must receive the notice in person. If she was not available, they said they would go to her.
It subsequently emerged that the owner of the house arrived at the scene to allow investigators access, adding that Gumede has not been residing at the property since July.
SABC News further reports that it appears Gumede has violated her bail conditions, as the address of the property currently being raided is the one she provided to the court, but she does not currently live there, and did not inform the investigating officer.
The DA welcomed the raid “as a positive step in the development of the corruption, fraud and racketeering case against Gumede and several others, and urge the Hawks to continue with their good work”.
They said Gumede violating her bail conditions without informing the authorities was “surely grounds for arrest, which we trust will be imminent, as no one is above the law”.
“Whilst we are pleased that there is progress in this matter and that Gumede is no longer Mayor of the eThekwini Municipality, she remains a councillor in the municipality, along with her co-accused Mondli Mthembu and 62 other Councillors mentioned in the initial court proceedings.
“The eThekwini Municipality Speaker’s Office, which is tasked with upholding the Code of Conduct for Councillors as enshrined in the law, have not initiated investigation, suspension or action against these Councillors.
“Gumede, Mthembu and their unnamed 62 cohorts continue to earn R2.5 million rand a month of public money whilst eThekwini has done nothing itself to hold them accountable.”
In other news – We are shutting down Uyajola 9/9 – Jub Jub
Viewers of Mzansi’s most popular cheaters show Uyajola9/9 got shocking news today. This is after rapper and TV presenter Molemo Maarohanye, better known as Jub Jub shared the news on social media that Uyajola9/9 is ‘shutting down’.
“Public announcement! Uyajola 9/9 taking a break. It’s been a great couple seasons, thank you so much for your support in watching @mojalovetv stay blessed”, he wrote on his social media post. continue reading
Source: TheCitizen
