Durban Waste Fraud Trial Paused Over Phone Seizure | Johannesburg News

In a high-stakes Durban Solid Waste fraud case worth R320 million, former city manager Sipho Nzuza faces charges alongside 20 others for allegedly siphoning funds between 2016 and 2017. His defense is now center stage in a trial-within-a-trial at the Durban High Court, arguing his cellphone was unlawfully seized without a warrant—claimed to have been taken under false pretenses of safekeeping. Nzuza’s lawyer insists she wasn’t informed of the seizure until bail discussions, with no record in her contemporaneous notes or the transcript. The defense also highlights that even the magistrate labeled the seizure “serious,” yet prosecutors didn’t act to halt data extraction—despite having the legal option—because a senior prosecutor assured them the phone would be returned that same day. The case raises troubling questions about procedural integrity and accountability. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/176464644b5abee4