A dispute between Buffalo City Metro (BCM) municipal manager Andile Fani and the accused in the Nelson Mandela fraud case – who include executive mayor Zukiswa Ncitha‚ council speaker Luleka Simon-Ndzele and councillor Sinidiswa Gomba – will play out in two courtrooms on Tuesday.

Ncitha‚ Simon-Ndzele and Gomba are due to appear in court in East London to explain their roles in an April 29 council decision to suspend Fani over alleged fraud and irregularities.

Fani is a key witness in the Mandela memorial fraud case.

The municipal manager complained to the Hawks‚ saying his pending suspension was “interference or intimidation of him in the case against the mayor”.

Late on Monday‚ the Hawks’ Luphumlo Lwana signed a court register at the East London magistrate’s court after receiving warrants of arrest.

Ncitha and Simon-Ndzele have also brought an application in the Grahamstown high court on Tuesday to have minutes and recordings of the meeting seized by Lwana returned to the metro.

They also want the court to interdict Lwana from threatening with arrest or actually arresting any BCM staff.