Ethekwini fails to spend R3.5m for 16 Days of Activism campaign

Durban - MORE than R3 million budgeted by the eThekwini Municipality for use during the 16 Days of Activism campaign has not been used, more than a week into the awareness programme.

This was revealed during the city’s exco meeting yesterday.

Deputy mayor Belinda Scott questioned why the R3.5m was not spent. In response, council speaker Weziwe Thusi said the money could be used for projects after the 16 Days campaign, saying it was not time bound.

DA exco member Yogis Govender said she was disappointed as this was an international campaign and the city appeared to have dropped the ball.

IFP exco member Mdu Nkosi told the Daily News that this was a case of poor planning on the city’s part.

This was not the only issue Nkosi found problematic. Disciplinary cases against city officials not being finalised were also discussed at exco, when a progress report was tabled at the meeting. Nkosi said it was not right that 300 cases had not been resolved.

City manager Sipho Nzuza also felt the cases needed to be resolved quickly and was formulating a plan to do this.

He said on Monday he had dealt with 47 such cases and some dated as far back as 2003.

The report said that since the end of October, they had resolved 36 cases, bringing down the number to 300.

The report from the City Integrity and Investigations Unit (CIIU) suggested less serious offences, which would result in written warnings, should be dealt with in informal hearings, and serious ones in formal procedures. Inaction on reports and recommendations by the CIIU has been an issue raised since mayor Mxolisi Kaunda took office this year.

Daily News