A former senior official at the Msunduzi Municipality has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for bribery and corruption involving a multi-million-rand municipal payment.
Nhlakanipho Dlamini, who served as a fleet supervisor, was convicted after demanding a R100,000 bribe from a service provider in exchange for facilitating a R1.5 million payment owed by the municipality. According to authorities, Dlamini initially processed only R1 million and continued to solicit further bribes to release the outstanding balance.
Hawks KwaZulu-Natal spokesperson, Simphiwe Mhlongo, said the matter was reported to the Durban Serious Corruption Investigation Unit, which launched an undercover operation.
"An intensive investigation was conducted, and on 17 January 2020, Dlamini was caught red-handed collecting cash from the complainant. He was immediately arrested and charged with corruption," said Mhlongo.
Dlamini's sentencing marks a significant step in the fight against corruption within municipal structures, as authorities continue to clamp down on abuse of power in local government.