Durban - Irvin Randle - known as “Mr Steal your Grandma” on Twitter will visit Durban on a trip to be paid for by the eThekwini Municipality, but it is not clear how his visit will benefit ratepayers.
Randle will be part of the Essence Festival, to be held in Durban later this year.
But the city is keeping mum on how much it will spend in bringing the 54-year-old American to Durban.
eThekwini head of communications, Tozi Mthethwa, said: “The Durban edition of the Essence Festival is still in the planning phase. All rele-vant information will be communicated in due course.”
Randle set the internet alight recently after posting a series of pictures showing off his muscular frame and trendy style - sporting a greying beard.
The teacher from Texas in the US has since gained himself an army of online followers in South Africa, who have swooned over his pictures.
City officials have invited Randle to South Africa as part of the city’s drive to emulate the New Orleans Essence Festival. This comes after city officials visited the 20th anniversary of the festival in New Orleans recently, where Randle participated.
The Essence Festival will be hosted by the municipality between November 13 and 19.
The event will present international performers and speakers to entertain and inspire, as well as local artists and experts to discuss a variety of subjects aimed at empowering women and their communities.
Randle’s Twitter page has, however, not been that popular with some South African men.
“If Irvin Randle could come to South Africa, it is bye-bye girlfriends to their boyfriends,” Brian Major Maphalala wrote.
“There are many things the municipality can do with the money they will be spending on Irvin, although there is nothing we can do as the officials have decided, but they should know it is not sitting well with us as locals,” Zukhanye Dzingwa said on Facebook.
Daily News