Cape Town - Cape Town Mayor Patricia de Lille has admitted “different rules were applied” to the DA and the ANC after opposition parties questioned the ruling party’s R327 000 spend on an overnight “breakaway” at Spier in Stellenbosch.
The ANC was reportedly told that it could only hold breakaway sessions in the city, and then at either The Strand Tower or the Cape Sun.
The expenditure was revealed at Wednesday’s full council meeting, during a debate on decisions made by the executive mayor between September and October.
Grant Haskin, caucus leader of the African Christian Democratic Party, said he had heard reports “from within the DA caucus”, that the breakaway session was a party political meeting focusing on party political matters.
Furthermore, people “other than DA city councillors” were reportedly also present.
“Even if this information is not accurate, which the ACDP doubts because of the sources they emanate from, this still represents a massive abuse of ratepayers’ money, benefiting only one party, and that took place outside the city, when alternative catering arrangements should have been made, when a free-for-use city-owned venue should have been used and when councillors should have been expected to travel to and from the venue since they all live in the city, rather than being accommodated at almost R2 500 a person.”
Haskin said the party wanted the DA to repay the money.
The call was picked up by other opposition parties, who chanted “pay back the money”, as De Lille explained that breakaway sessions for political parties were covered by council rules. These sessions were to ensure that councillors developed the skills they needed to manage the administration effectively, she said. “This was no wasting of money.”
But Xolani Sotashe, of the ANC, said there were two sets of rules; one for the DA and one for the official opposition. “Why are we treated differently?”
DA caucus leader Anthea Serritslev tried to explain. “We are a large caucus and this (Spier) was the only place we could get.”
Speaker Dirk Smit said he did not attend the breakaway session, and that approval for the overnight stay did not come from his office. “I did not take part in that.”
De Lille then admitted that the council needed to adopt a standardised set of rules for breakaway sessions before the council resumed next year.
“It’s clear that different rules were applied to the two parties.”
Cape Argus