POLITICS

Extreme overspend on Essence Festival should be investigated – Zwakele Mncwango

DA says eThekwini allegedly spent R103 million on event and not the budgeted amount of R35 million

DA calls on City Manager to investigate extreme overspend on Essence Festival

25 July 2017

The DA in eThekwini has written to the City Manager, Sipho Nzuza, calling for an immediate forensic investigation into the expenditure on the 2016 Essence Festival.

This follows the presentation by Acting Deputy City Manager, Phillip Sithole, who revealed that the City spent R95 million on this event, almost 60% more than the budgeted amount of R35 million.

The DA has also reliably learnt that the City allegedly in actual fact spent R103 million on the event and not the R95 million it presented.

This blatant irregular expenditure ironically took place in a time of increased calls on residents to tighten their belts in these tough economic times.

This is just another example of the deeply entrenched rot in the eThekwini Municipality under the leadership of Mayor Zandile Gumede, whose mission it is to loot the City’s coffers for herself and her cronies.

This overspending is not only shocking but also abnormal and cannot be left unchallenged. We believe that there have been many irregularities and possible corruption and it must be investigated thoroughly.

We propose that the investigation focuses on, but is not limited to the following:

The processes used to appoint service providers;

The roles played by all officials who were organising the Essence Festival;

The process of deciding on how the budget should be spent;

Any corrupt activities or irregular transactions in the entire Essence Festival;

All the transactions made to service providers; and

All the transactions made to individuals.

The DA challenges the City Manager to commit to his word on fighting corruption in eThekwini. There are strong indications that public funds were looted by greedy people under the disguise of the Essence Festival. This ransacking of people’s money must end now and those who are guilty of misusing public funds must be brought to book.

While DA-led Metros like Tshwane, Johannesburg and Nelson Mandela Bay are on a mission to save public funds, eThekwini is on a mission to steal from our people.

When ANC municipalities waste money in this way, they hurt the poor. The DA will do everything possible to ensure that this is brought to an end so that every person can receive the basic services that they are entitled to.

Issued by Zwakele Mncwango, KZN DA Leader, 25 July 2017