Durban - Mayor Zandile Gumede has shelved plans by the eThekwini Municipality's Department of Arts and Culture to fund an album with former president Jacob Zuma of his favourite Struggle songs.
Gumede, addressing an eThekwini executive council meeting (Exco) at the Moses Mabhida Stadium on Tuesday said that proper municipal protocols were not followed when the idea was mooted and it would, therefore, be canned.
The opposition parties in the city's executive council had pointed out when the music album deal was first brought up that a report had not been presented Exco with a report for approval.
"I do not want the name of the former president to be dragged into the mud," Gumede said.
The recording of the album has been mired in controversy since it was first mooted by the city's head of Parks and Recreation, Thembinkosi Ngcobo.
The city has in recent weeks been at pains to explain that if the album was produced it would be funded from part of the unit's R25 million budget and not its entirety.
Gumede also chastised the media for its reporting on her saying that it was more than a month since it was reported that the Hawks was going to arrest her and it had not happened. She said there were also rumours that her house was raided yesterday which was not true.
She urged media houses to ask her office if there were any matters that needed to be clarified rather than them to report inaccurate information and that she had an open door policy.
As soon as she completed her speech, the official opposition, the DA wanted to ask follow-up questions but Gumede refused them the opportunity to do so.
Heinz de Boer pointed out that her denying their requests for follow up questions down went against what she earlier stated of an open door policy.
Gumede was insistent that questions would not be entertained and that the matters she addressed would be dealt with later on.