Durban - eThekwini Municipality has given councillors the assurance that allegations that the City will pay millions of rand to satisfy a debt incurred by the ANC Women's League for its conference recently held at the ICC were not true.
It has been alleged that the bill estimated at around R5 million for the conference will be paid by the City. Councillors raised the matter at a council meeting last week and demanded that City officials give an assurance that they will not be making such a payment.
The ANCWL in KwaZulu-Natal recently held a conference at Durban’s ICC.
IFP councillor Mdu Nkosi said, “Honourable speaker Thabani Nyawose, while you were making announcements I thought you were going to touch on something that is worrying us where it was alleged that as we are here in the ICC, the venue was used by the women’s league and so the City will pay. If the municipal manager Musa Mbhele could take us into his confidence that there will be no such a thing that can happen.”
The sentiments were echoed by ActionSA councillor Zwakele Mncwango, saying councillors needed an assurance that there will be no payment made by the City on this matter.
Nyawose said he was aware of the allegations as they circulated on social media but he had not received any formal complaint.
Councillor Nkosenhle Madlala of the ANC said, “I want to state that the ANC with all its leagues is quite capable of paying for its own events, at no stage will we ask the municipality to pay our bills.
City manager Mbhele said he had received a complaint from ActionSA, “I can confirm that no council funds will be paid in connection with that event.”