War of words over Durban events

Zwakele Mncwango File picture: Bongani Mbatha/ANA Picture

Zwakele Mncwango File picture: Bongani Mbatha/ANA Picture

Published Jul 26, 2017

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The city’s planned imbizo for hostel dwellers and a maidens’ conference stirred emotions during a meeting of the eThekwini executive committee on Tuesday.

DA members in the committee had questioned the expenditure planned for the events, saying the money could be put to much better use than hosting events. 

Reports presented at the meeting showed that the city will spend 
R3 million on each of them. Mayor Zandile Gumede, however, said the cost could be much lower and these were just estimates.

The DA’s Zwakele Mncwango said while there was nothing wrong with city leadership engaging with hostel dwellers, he felt that given the country’s bleak economic situation, a more cost-effective way should have been sought.

“It is surprising that we can be willing to spend R3 million on just a (hostel) visit. How is this kind of event going to change the life of someone staying in a hostel? When we were campaigning we did not spend so much money, but we still engaged with them,” said Mncwango.

Sharon Hoosen, another DA member, also voiced her disapproval, saying the Mayoral Moral Regeneration Imbizo scheduled for Monday next week would just be “a day of entertainment” as none of the funds would go towards resolving any of the issues facing the hostels.

This infuriated the mayor, who responded: “You cannot suggest that, as the mayor, I can go to the people just to say, ‘hello, goodbye’. I am not stupid to leave my home just to say ‘hello’ and ‘goodbye’. But because I am nothing to you, you will not apologise.” 

As tempers flared, IFP councillor Mdu Nkosi called for calm but also took a swipe at the DA. 

“Will you talk like this if these (hostel dwellers) were people in uMhlanga and Durban North? Is it because the people in hostels are not important enough?” asked Nkosi.

Gumede said the hostel imbizo showed that the city treated hostel residents with dignity.

Mondli Mthembu, of the ANC, said the imbizo would also provide a platform through which residents of the 10 hostels in the city could voice their concerns about service delivery, which would then help the city in their interventions.

The maidens’ conference, to be held at Shongweni this weekend, also came under scrutiny at the meeting. About 4 000 maidens are expected to attend the event at which they are selected for the annual Reed Dance, which takes place at King Goodwill Zwelithini’s Enyokeni palace, in Nongoma.

Mncwango asked if the money could not have been better used in providing sanitary pads for young girls. 

ANC councillors, however, pointed out to Mncwango that sanitary pads had been budgeted for as part of the event’s proposed expenditure. 

Mncwango also asked why money was spent on marquees for VIPs and officials.

According to the proposed budget, R75 000 would be spent on catering for 150 VIPs over the three days, while R30 000 had been budgeted for the VIP marquee. A total of R160 000 would be spent on entertainment and R250 000 would be spent on buying eight cows.

“I’m not against the cultural practice but we cannot justify so much money being spent,” said Mncwango.

ANC councillor Zama Sokhabase said the VIP marquees were justified as the Zulu queens were expected to attend. She said mixing amakhosi and the queens with children would be disrespectful.

She said the entertainment provided would have an education element and was, therefore, justified.

The Mercury

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