Municipal manager’s R600,000 bribery scandal revives old tender controversy

• UThukela District Municipality manager Langelihle Jili allegedly offered Hawks officers R600,000 after his arrest over a R100,000 bribe demand from a service provider.
• In 2017, the Democratic Alliance questioned Langelihle Jili’s use of tender rules in Nkandla, where a minister had also rejected his appointment.

UThukela District Municipality manager Langelihle Jili is back in trouble with the law, years after a bitter fight over his appointment and a controversial tender at Nkandla Municipality.

Jili, 46, was arrested on Wednesday after he allegedly demanded R100,000 from a service provider to process payment for work done for the municipality.

But his troubles grew when he allegedly offered Hawks officers R600,000 after his arrest.

The Hawks seized the money as evidence.

Jili was arrested alongside Bongumenzi Dlamini, 26, who also faces corruption charges.

Hawks spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Simphiwe Mhlongo said the R600,000 would be referred to the Asset Forfeiture Investigation Unit for further handling.

The arrest has brought fresh attention to Jili’s troubled time as municipal manager of Nkandla in northern KwaZulu-Natal.

In 2017, the Democratic Alliance challenged his use of Regulation 32 to appoint a communications company.

The party claimed the company had links to the late husband of Dr Nomusa Dube-Ncube, who was then a member of the provincial executive council responsible for cooperative governance and traditional affairs.

The Democratic Alliance claimed Jili wanted to win favour with Dube-Ncube to protect his position as Nkandla municipal manager.

Regulation 32 allows municipalities to use contracts already awarded by other government bodies under certain conditions.

Jili’s use of the regulation raised questions about how Nkandla Municipality awarded contracts.

At the same time, Jili was fighting to keep his job after former cooperative governance minister Des van Rooyen rejected his appointment.

The Inkatha Freedom Party-led Nkandla Municipality had appointed Jili in January 2017 under then Mayor Thami Ntuli.

But Jili had only 13 months of senior management experience.

The law required municipal managers to have at least five years of experience in senior management.

Nkandla Municipality asked the national cooperative governance department to make an exception.

In September 2017, Van Rooyen rejected the request.

He told Ntuli that the municipality had failed to give good reasons for appointing someone who did not meet the requirements.

Van Rooyen said the municipality could have advertised the position again to attract qualified candidates.

He also raised concerns that Jili’s proposed salary was above the allowed limit.

Nine years later, Jili is facing a new corruption case, this time linked to his position at uThukela District Municipality.

Mhlongo said Jili and Dlamini appeared in the Durban Specialised Commercial Crime Court.

Both were kept in custody.

The court postponed the case to 27 October for a bail application.