THE eThekwini Municipality is facing accusations of misusing ratepayers’ money after it booked accommodation for its councillors during the South African Local Government Association (Salga) Games hosted in Durban last week.
The revelations of Durban-based councillors being booked into accommodation in Westville have angered ratepayers who have threatened “action”, while one opposition party is demanding answers.
The municipality confirmed that it had spent approximately R150 000 on this exercise. It defended the booking of accommodation for the councillors, arguing that it was to ensure the safety of participants who were staying at the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Westville Campus.
The councillors were part of the games promoted by Salga.
ActionSA councillor Zwakele Mncwango has written to the city manager to demand an explanation regarding the expenditure. Mncwango revealed that one of his party councillors had accepted an accommodation offer.
In a letter from one of the party’s councillors, Musa Kubheka, he apologised for the matter, stating: “I acknowledge that I exercised poor judgment in accepting an accommodation booking provided by the eThekwini Metro Municipality for the Salga Games.
“This decision was a grave error that compromised public coffers and resulted in fruitless and wasteful expenditure. Upon engagement with my leadership, I took immediate steps to reflect on my actions and their implications. I cancelled the accommodation after spending one night.”
Kubheka also said: “I have written to the Speaker requesting invoices for my accommodation, as I intend to personally reimburse the municipality for the full amount allocated to me for the night.”
In his letter to the municipal manager, Musa Mbhele, Mncwango said this “action of fruitless and wasteful expenditure is in direct violation of the Municipal Finance Management Act”.
“It is deeply concerning that such expenses are incurred at a time when the municipality faces severe budget constraints, negatively affecting service delivery across various clusters.”
The matter has angered ratepayers with EThekwini Ratepayers and Residents’ Association President Ish Prahladh saying: “It’s sad that our councillors have no conscience in spending ratepayers’ money on unlawful expenditure. Where are all our heads of departments who sign off on this unlawful expenditure? Councillors who were responsible for this should be debited on their salaries to repay these amounts. Those amounts must be used in useful ways, like sorting out infrastructure.”
Municipal spokesperson, Gugu Sisilana, said the municipality is committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of all children representing the municipality in the Salga Games.
She said that every year, as Team eThekwini participates in the Salga Games, councillors are designated to travel with the team.
She explained that the decision to have councillors accompany these children reflected the municipality’s dedication to taking responsibility for the welfare of the young participants entrusted to its care by their parents.
“Councillors were accommodated in Westville, aligning with the eThekwini Municipality team participating in the 2024 Salga Games, who were housed at the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Westville Campus. The teams participated in 13 sporting codes, with two councillors assigned to each code, ensuring the well-being of the children throughout the event,” Sisilana said.
She said the municipality prioritised youth empowerment as one of its key strategic objectives and recognised the Salga Games as a valuable platform for young people to showcase their sporting talent.
These games provide opportunities for participants to be scouted by potential sporting organisations, serving as a stepping stone towards professional sporting careers , she said.
“The municipality views this initiative as an investment in youth development, where their safety and well-being are of utmost importance. Ensuring their protection during the games is a critical responsibility and cannot be regarded as fruitless or wasteful expenditure, especially during a time when the country is commemorating 16 Days of Activism Against Women and Child Abuse.”