SCOPA zooms in on alleged corruption in eThekwini Municipality

By Sihle Mavuso 

The Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA) has pounced on the corruption-tainted eThekwini municipality to investigate a range of alleged corruption matters that has been reported about the entity. 

In its first step, the committee chaired by MP Songoze Zibi from Rise Mzansi has directed eThekwini mayor Cyril Xaba to provide its with a range of reports on matters that has been brought to its attention for further probing. 

The move by SCOPA comes as calls are intensifying for the Madlanga Commission to zoom into eThekwini and probe entities like Durban Transport, the Durban Metro Police and the Water department. 

In the letter by Zibi dated 13 May 2026, Xaba has to provide the information by Monday next week.

Among the matters the committee wants its reports on is the Namibia 8 Housing Project in the notorious township of Inanda in the north of Durban. The project has been stalled since 2019 despite that it has been alleged that the contractor was fully paid.

“A detailed update around the Namibia 8 Housing Project on what transpired and the

consequence management, a detailed report on the sanitation project which dates back as far as 2019, focusing on: the bidding process and service providers awarded the contract, the current status of the sanitation project and the anticipated date for its completion; Reasons for the delay in concluding the project.” reads the letter.

“Reasons why certain service providers have not yet been paid despite the Council resolution; Steps being taken by the Municipality to resolve all outstanding disputes and payment-related matters, timelines indicating when all matters relating to the project will be finalised and concluded; and a detailed breakdown of the total cost of the project,” the committee said.

Moreover, the committee wants documents that would shed light on how