Durban - The integration of Moses Mabhida Stadium under the management of the International Convention Centre was approved by the eThekwini Municipality on Tuesday.
This was despite a request to the committee, chaired by mayor James Nxumalo’s political rival Zandile Gumede, that the decision be deferred.
ANC councillors, supported by opposition councillors, slammed Gumede for not making a decision saying the matter could no longer be delayed as it affected the running of a key city entity.
Gumede was also not present at Tuesday’s meeting.
The matter, which first came up at exco in September, had been sent to the relevant portfolio committees for deliberation.
Every committee, except Gumede’s emergency services committee, approved the integration.
Gumede and Nxumalo – who was at the exco meeting on Tuesday – are locked in an intense battle for ANC chairmanship of eThekwini, the party’s biggest region.
The winner is likely to be mayor of eThekwini after next year’s local government election.
According to a report presented by city manager, S’bu Sithole, the emergency services committee deferred the matter for discussion at “political party caucuses”.
Deputy mayor Nomvuzo Shabalala said that Gumede’s committee was given an extension to decide on the matter but still deferred it.
“Now they are saying next year February. That I find very unfair,” she said.
DA councillor, Heinz de Boer, said that it was a shame that Gumede was not at the exco to explain her committee’s decision.
“The item came up at the committee but the chair (Gumede) refused to discuss the issue and said it had to go to party caucuses because the ANC had not made a decision,” he said.
The stadium had been under the control of BKS-MMS since it opened in 2009 for the 2010 Fifa World Cup.
Two years ago, Sithole confirmed that the company’s contract had expired.
Since then it has been managed through a service agreement with the Durban Marine Theme Park.
Daily News
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