The UDM has criticised an Africa Day celebration hosted by Nelson Mandela Bay’s political leadership at the weekend, which excluded opposition parties but attracted international guests and councillors from another municipality.
The event was held at the Feather Market Centre on Saturday.
It included guests from Zimbabwe, Somalia, Malawi, Cameroon, Ethiopia and the Democratic Republic of Congo, as well as members from the local business sector and civil society.
Guests wore traditional garments, including Nelson Mandela Bay mayor Gary van Niekerk, who donned traditional Khoi and San regalia.
They were treated to traditional dances and a music exhibition, along with hand-crafted items such as a handbag made of African print materials.
UDM councillor Luxolo Namette filed a motion of exigency to be tabled at a special council meeting on Wednesday to get answers.
However, it was not tabled.
In the motion, Namette said the city faced exorbitant and escalating unauthorised, fruitless and wasteful expenditure from unnecessary deviations and neglect of supply chain management processes.
“The office of the mayor contributes largely to the unauthorised, fruitless and wasteful bill of the city and as the council, we should not be allowed to turn a blind eye to the criminality of wasting and looting of ratepayers’ money and the allocations provided to us by the National Treasury for servicing our communities.”
Namette said he filed the motion for the city’s political leadership to account.
“I submit this motion to hold accountable the municipality’s leadership from further plunging our resources into waste, and to help them focus on serving our communities, for this is why we are paid to be in this council.”
Namette said his party was surprised to learn via social media about the event.
“This event was flighted on social media platforms with the mayor proudly naming it a first of its kind for the municipality.
“Surprisingly, the event hosted councillors from Ndlambe municipality and councillors from abroad in countries like Zimbabwe.
“Councillors of the metro, the host city, were not invited.”
He requested that council speaker Eugene Johnson source information from Van Niekerk on:
- Whose decision it was to host the event and whether it forms part of the council’s planned events;
- Why councillors of the opposition were not invited, except those in the ruling coalition;
- How the event was funded, and how much it cost;
- Whether the city procured external services, and if so, if supply chain processes were followed.
At a media briefing on Thursday, Van Niekerk evaded questions on the motion.
“I did not personally invite the guests,” he said.
“There is an organising committee for the event that did that.
“I will get back to you about the expenditure but I can tell you this was not wasteful.
“All I know is that people were invited and two opposition councillors attended.
“We held the event to celebrate our Africanness and you should see how much trade happens between the countries in the sub-Saharan region because of such gatherings.”
Johnson, who spoke on the sidelines of the briefing and was asked in the motion to get answers, said she referred the motion to Van Niekerk and acting city manager Luvuyo Magalela to respond.
“Even though it didn’t go to council, the mayor is still required to respond to the councillor.
“I referred the motion because the questions are specific.”
At the council meeting, Van Niekerk said they held the first-ever mayoral Africa Day dinner to celebrate Africanness.
“We made an important statement by initiating this event,” he said.
“We chose to break bread with our African brothers and sisters because we share similar struggles against colonial occupation.
“We will not be distracted by frogs trying to steer us away from the water; there’s a few of them here today.”
Van Niekerk said the event was endorsed by international relations minister Naledi Pandor whose message of support was streamed.
Sport, recreation, arts and culture political head Bassie Kamana said the only African Day event he was aware of was his for this Saturday.
“I can’t comment on the mayor’s event,” he said.
“I was not in attendance, [because] that is a political event rather than an administrative one.”
On Thursday, Namette disputed they were invited and that two opposition councillors attended.
“He must name them because that is an absolute lie.”
When contacted later about the opposition councillors who attended, Van Niekerk denied saying this.
“I said there were councillors who attended but I’m not sure who they are.”
When he was told he had been recorded and had said two opposition councillors, he laughed and said he would send the guest list.
He failed to do so.
HeraldLIVE
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