The uproar over whether eThekwini ratepayers were to bear the nearly R5 million cost for the ANC Women’s League Conference in August will intensify on Thursday.
This follows ActionSA’s revelation of plans to picket outside the Durban International Convention Centre.
The Durban International Convention Centre (ICC) faces accusations of conspiring with the ANC-led eThekwini Municipality to bill the City for a Woman’s Month Launch. This event was actually the ANCWL conference.
submitted questions to the Durban ICC, seeking responses from CEO, Lindiwe Rakharebe, and Board Chairperson, Glen Mashinini. At the time of publishing, the Durban ICC had not responded.
Mashinini previously served as the chairperson of the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC).
ActionSA’s provincial chairperson, Zwakele Mncwango, was the first to blow the whistle the ICC’s invoice to the City. This bill was disguised as a charge for the Woman’s Month Launch.
Mncwango has urged city residents and opposition parties to join the protest against the Durban ICC over its alleged fraudulent collaboration with the ANC.
eThekwini Municipality spokesperson, Gugu Sisilana, told the Daily News that the City’s Integrity and Investigations Unit initiated a probe into the matter in August after media allegations arose.
Mncwango criticised the use of public funds for ANC activities and highlighted the need for public scrutiny.
He noted that ratepayer money seemed destined to finance the ANCWL Elective Conference, which was held at the Durban ICC from August 4 to 8.
Mncwango revealed that the event’s booking details had allegedly been altered, intensifying suspicions.
The change from a booking for the ANCWL Elective Conference to one for the “Woman’s Month Launch” by the eThekwini Municipality, coupled with a coinciding date extension, raised more doubts.
“After I exposed this, the City did not pay the bill,” Mncwango told .
“But the invoice is outstanding and the question is, who is going to pay it. The ICC is funded by the City and they need to be held accountable,” he said.
The contract between the eThekwini Municipality and the ICC reportedly shows an order for R5,089,781.40, believed to cover the ANCWL Elective Conference costs.
Responding to these allegations, Mayor Mxolisi Kaunda dismissed the claims and urged the opposition to present evidence.
He said that while the Durban ICC is affiliated with the municipality, it operates independently.
The Mayor lauded the Durban ICC for its economic contributions and warned against potential political manipulations surrounding the issue.
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