Celani Sikhakhane
Politicians have accused the Hawks of unfairly targeting the KZN Finance MEC Nomusa Dube-Ncube, who is running for the position of ANC provincial chairperson this weekend.
This is in connection with the Hawks investigation over the misappropriation of drought relief funds.
But the Hawks have denied the accusations and said their investigations started in 2019 and said MEC Dube-Ncube was not a suspect.
Hawks spokesperson Captain Simphiwe Mhlongo said: “There have been investigations that were conducted from the onset and no suspect was ever identified. MEC Dube-Ncube was approached but it was to obtain clarity on the information received. She was never identified as the suspect or potential suspect,” said Captain Mhlongo.
In 2019 Dube-Ncube was supposed to distribute R220 million relief funds to drought stricken communities and farmers but it never happened.
Instead the R220 million disappeared without a trace and since then there has been no answer from Dube-Ncube about the whereabouts of the funds while drought victims were facing the crisis.
Dube-Ncube was also accused by the then DA KZN leader Zwakele Mncwango of misusing her power as MEC to allegedly receive tenders from IFP-run municipalities in return for not putting them under administration.
Most of these municipalities were embroiled in issues surrounding misappropriation of funds and employing municipal managers without following proper recruitment procedures.
The team that is campaigning for Dube-Ncube to take over as a provincial chair of the ANC has claimed that the approach by Hawks is part of a political smear campaign. They claim that an ANC leader and a “soccer boss-turned-politician” (neither of whom were named) want to hinder her chances of advancing in the party.
In 2019 it was reported that Dube-Ncube was supposed to be the KZN premier but her name was removed secretly to put novice politicians in government such as MEC Sipho Hlomuka and Nomagugu Simelane to compete with Sihle Zikalala.
Dube-Ncube was seen as a threat to Zikalala due to her governance experience which would have given her the chance of becoming the first female premier in the province.
