Cape Town - The ANC in the metro has called for political heads to roll over the Cape Town Cup “fiasco” following the resignation of the official responsible for tourism and events in the City of Cape Town.
Anton Groenewald, executive director of tourism, events and economic development, resigned with immediate effect this week after the event sold only 22 000 tickets for the tournament held over the weekend. The city spent on R28 million on the pre-season tournament that was expected to draw the same crowds - about 55 000 - as the 2012 Manchester United game against Ajax Cape Town.
The city has said that Groenewald resigned voluntarily, but the ANC said he was being used a scapegoat to cover up the city’s “huge waste of public funds”.
Tony Ehrenreich, as leader of the official opposition, said: “It is inappropriate that staff are made the scapegoat when the political leadership make the final decisions.”
Speaking during Wednesday’s council meeting, Ehrenreich interrogated the city’s evaluation of the benefits of events during a discussion about money spent on other events held earlier this year.
“Should it not have been (Garreth) Bloor, mayoral committee member for tourism, events and economic development, who left and not the executive director?”
Bloor retorted by saying that the Cape Town Cup was not currently on the council agenda for discussion and reminded him that council had approved the city’s proposal to host the event.
Ehrenreich refused to drop the issue, and pressed Bloor to account for the expenditure of R28m on an event that struggled to fill half of the Cape Town Stadium. The city’s hasty adjustment of ticket prices in a bid to fill the stands was an embarrassment, he added. Double-header tickets were dropped from R400 to R100 a week before kick-off.
Groenewald later told the Cape Argus that he had resigned to take responsibility for an “error in judgement”. He said the event flopped because of low thresholds for risk and tolerance of failure in a portfolio that is about positioning Cape Town globally.
“It is not a portfolio for shrinking violets. It requires risk and an appetite to do things at scale. I got it wrong.”
The ANC’s provincial leadership later weighed in on the issue. “It is as clear as daylight that the resignation of the Cape Town tourism, events and marketing executive director Anton Groenewald is to take the fall for his political overlords’ engineering, conniving and machinations. This is a massive abuse of taxpayer money by the DA under the direct oversight of the mayor (Patricia de Lille is also a Western Cape DA leader) and at least her mayoral committee member. They are politically accountable for the mess.
How many houses could be built or facilities upgraded with this money?” asked ANC provincial leader Marius Fransman.
Bloor said the close-out report was still being compiled and the city could not say when it would be released.
“The executive director is the administrative head of the directorate. As an accountable administration, it falls to him or her to take responsibility for decisions made by the directorate.
“This is something the erstwhile executive director himself attests to. The council’s oversight role for the implementation of the city’s IDP, policies and strategy is only as strong as the information supplied to the structures of council by the administration.”
Groenewald said only the DA party and council would be able to satisfy itself that all those who had been part of the decision to hold the Cape Town Cup had been held accountable.
“As for me, I hold myself accountable to a higher personal standard. I failed and I failed the people of Cape Town. I walked. But I am proud of what I did. Many good projects were initiated on my watch.”
“So I leave with the knowledge that I have done my best, given of my best and bar one project, delivered my best.”
Meanwhile, the city’s director of strategic communication and branding, Carol Avenant, has also resigned.
She joined the city in 2013 and was involved in the controversial approval of the city’s new logo last year.
The company she used to work for - Yellowwood Future Architects - won the rebranding contract in a joint venture with King James Advertising.
Cape Argus