The Speaker of Nongoma local municipality in northern KwaZulu-Natal has abruptly cancelled the council sitting, scheduled for Monday morning, that would have breached her bail conditions.

The corruption accused Babongile Sithole called off the sitting through a note sent to councillors hours before the meeting.

“Notice is hereby given that the special council meeting of Nongoma Municipality previously scheduled for today, 02 December 2024 at 10:00, at the council chambers, has been cancelled until further notice,” Sithole wrote to councillors. 

This is the same meeting that was scheduled to take place at Nongoma lodge on Friday, but it eventually did take place.

• Read Corruption Accused Nongoma Mayor To Spend More Days In Jail, Deputy Mayor and Speaker Out on Bail

If the meeting proceeded, Sithole would have violated one of her bail conditions imposed on her by the court on Friday. When granting her bail together with deputy mayor, Sabelo Nkosi from the EFF and businessman Vukani Gumede, the court said they should not set their foot at the municipal offices as they are deemed an active “crime scene.”

The court also ruled that they should not intimidate witnesses who are likely to be municipal employees. 

Sithole, Nkosi, Gumede, Mayor Clifford Ndabandaba, Khulekani Manqele, former Nongoma municipal manager, Mthandeni Zungu and others are facing 57 counts of corruption for squandering R800 000 of municipal funds. 

The State opposed bail for Ndabandaba and others. They will return to court on Wednesday this week to apply for bail amid speculations that they may also face a murder charge related to political killings that rocked the area in 2022.