Six eThekwini Municipality employees were arrested and appeared in court on allegations of theft.
In a statement, the City said the workers were arrested in Inanda on Thursday.
“They were found transporting the asphalt tar and failed to produce a job card to explain why and where they were transporting it to.”
The employees, who are from the Roads and Stormwater Maintenance Department, appeared in court on Friday.
Speaking to the arrests the City said forensic investigators from the City’s Integrity and Investigations Unit (CIIU) together with the Metro Police received a tip off and pursued the employees.
Head of the CIIU Jimmy Ngcobo said the arrest shows that the City means business when it comes to rooting out corruption.
“The team quickly acted on the information received and tactically monitored the movement of the two identified vehicles and suspects. They followed the vehicles for hours until they stopped in Ezimangweni, Inanda,” said Ngcobo.
The City said the suspects cellphones were seized and will be sent for analysis to determine the person behind the theft.
Ngcobo said the Municipality has adopted a zero-tolerance stance against fraud, corruption, and the violation of human rights.
“Building an ethical, corruption-free organisation is a key focus for the City.”
Ngcobo added that further investigations will be conducted to enable them to implement consequence management congruent to the crime committed.
Ngcobo urged the public to report suspected crimes targeting Municipal infrastructure.
“This arrest is a prime example of how theft of Municipal assets hampers service delivery in communities.”
The public can report fraud and corruption by calling 0800 20 20 20 or email ombuds@durban.gov.za
Last week the City said it had recently appointed three additional asphalt service providers to address the current pothole crisis.
The City said this strategic move would enable their teams to tackle the backlog of pothole repairs more efficiently.
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