African National Congress councillors at the Cape Metropolitan Council (CMC) on Tuesday stopped a R40 000 grant to the Cape Women of the World Festival, saying they were against the gender festival.
The festival will run from August 7 to 12 and will be held at different venues throughout the city and suburbs.
The R40 000 was to be used to fund the speakers at a special function on Women's Day (August 9) which would be attended by Khanyi Dhlomo Mkize, the editor of True Love magazine, and radio personality Shado Twala.
Speaking on behalf of the ANC caucus, Mzukisi Gaba said he did not know any of the names of the women who would be speaking at the festival nor what their role concerning women's causes were. He recommended that the CMC holds its own function for women.
Stewart Fisher, chief executive officer of the CMC, pointed out that the council did not have the capacity to stage its own function.
The CMC had already committed R150 000 towards the festival from its special events budget. The extra R40 000 was for the August 9 function only.
Acting chairperson of the CMC's executive committee, Jacobus Bredenhand, said the gender commission representatives within the CMC should try and put together a business plan for a Women's Day function which would cost no more than R40 000.