The eThekwini Municipality has called on residents to report any instances of fraud and corruption following the arrest of a man implicated in a diesel theft syndicate targeting the city's fuel supply system.
According to the municipality, the suspect, who posed as a municipal employee, was apprehended while filling diesel at a petrol station used by the city’s fleet.
This followed a tip-off to the Municipal City Fleet Directorate, which reported suspicious activity involving certain vehicles refuelling excessively, with some more than 10 times a day.
A preliminary investigation conducted by the City Integrity and Investigations Directorate revealed that a municipal fuel master card, issued by the Water and Sanitation Directorate, was being fraudulently used by privately owned vehicles.
According to the municipality, the fuel master being used was for a vehicle that has been stationary for a long time and marked for disposal.
“The suspect had duplicated the number plate and branding on the side of the car doors to make it look similar to other municipal cars. in this instance, municipal employees were working with external people to conduct fraud and corruption.
“The culprit had four vehicles fitted with a 750-litre fuel tank at the base of each single cab van. The diesel was stored in these tanks and resold. Each vehicle generated about R78 000 a day,” Director of the City Integrity and Investigations Directorate, Jimmy Ngcobo said.
Ngcobo said the suspect, who did rounds everyday filling diesel at over 15 petrol stations around the city, was caught red-handed with assistance from the Metro Police and private company, Reaction Unit South Africa.
At the time of the arrest, the suspect, who was wearing a municipal uniform admitted that he does not work for the city but employed by a private individual and earned R2000 a day.
The suspect has since appeared in court on charges of fraud and corruption. The case was remanded to August 2025.
“This is organised crime and should be dealt with seriously. The municipality has suffered a great financial loss, which is why we are calling on various stakeholders to report fraud and corruption when they see it happening,” Ngcobo said.
The public can report fraud and corruption by calling 0800 20 20 20 or send an email to ombuds@durban.gov.za – SAnews.gov.za
