Buffalo City Metro did not only fork out R250000 for an egg-and-spoon race tournament that never took place – it paid another R5-million towards other non-existent sporting events.
A week-long Saturday Dispatch investigation sparked by the “disappearance” of a sponsorship fund meant to benefit sports development within the metro has turned up a number of facts.
The issue was first raised during a council meeting where councillors called for a forensic investigation into the use of unapproved state funds.
Today, Saturday Dispatch can reveal that six sports tournaments were allocated R2.1-million by the metro last year. The events did not take place despite a number of companies being paid.
In addition to the “ghost” events, BCM’s head of events and entertainment, councillor Pumla Nazo told the Dispatch this week that a R3-million “allocation”, listed in a council report as having benefited the Buyel’Ekhaya music festival, did not go to the festival.
The festival’s disputed allocation brings the unaccounted for funds to R5.2-million.
Speaking to the Dispatch this week, Nazo said: “I was not in the meeting when this matter was brought up but I heard about the R3-million and I immediately said there was no such thing.
“The sports sponsorship committee never gave us money. The Buyel’Ekhaya festival has nothing to do with sports and it has always been financed by the finance department. There needs to be a correction of that allocation; that money did not come to us.”
Nazo said they had requested R4.9-million from the council for the festival.
A report before council revealed that a Mdantsane-based maintenance company claimed R250000 to host an egg-and-spoon race, a tug-of-war contest, a bucket race and a soccer tournament. The event was due to take place on December 5 and 6 last year, but sources say it never did. The funds were paid to Mzukisi Kebeni’s Khutshu Khutshu Maintenance company.
Called for answers this week, Kebeni said: “I don’t want to talk to you. My case is with the lawyers now and I don’t know if the event happened or not.”
Boxing South Africa (BSA) in the province distanced itself from a boxing tournament for which businessman Koko Godlo’s KK Productions received R700000. The event was meant to have taken place in November, but BSA said Godlo last hosted a tournament in 2014.
BSA’s Phakamile Jacobs said: “The only boxing tournament we had in East London on that day was organised by another promoter and for the rest of the year until the last tournament on December 16 there was nothing hosted by KK Productions.”
Attempts to get comment from Godlo since Wednesday proved fruitless as he did not answer his phone. His only response to questions sent via a text message was “I’m in a meeting”.
The funds in question were part of a R17.3-million sports sponsorship programme, which the metro’s sports sponsorship committee, led by councillor Ayanda Peter, allocated without council’s approval last year.
A BCM sub-unions rugby tournament that was allocated R560000 never took place. The funding was allocated to Vuyolwethu Booi’s Ndesane Trading company.
Booi is the nephew of ward 33 ward councillor Batini Booi. When contacted by the Dispatch he said the money was used to buy teams’ playing kit.
“Yes the tournament never took place because when we approached Border Rugby we were told the season had closed,” he said.
A cleaning company from Mdantsane was paid R250000 to host a hockey tournament at Stirling and Cambridge high schools.
The company, Mbonana Garden Cleaning & Maintenance Services (Pty) Ltd was paid the money. Speaking to the Dispatch last week, organiser Zanoxolo Mqashane said the hockey tournament took place in Mdantsane.
However, the Dispatch understands that there are no hockey facilities in Mdantsane.
When asked this week where exactly in Mdantsane the tournament had taken place, Mqashane said: “We got the funding from the municipality and not from the Dispatch. I do not answer to you but to the municipality.”
Border Hockey’s Tim Stria, sports headmaster at Cambridge High School said: “I was the chairman of the Border Association last year and there was no tournament like that in Stirling and Cambridge.
“We have never heard of that company or anyone by the name of Zanoxolo. We have never worked with him.”
lDisadvantaged rural youth from Potsdam and their ward councillor Veliwe Sakube were shocked when questioned about a R150000 soccer, rugby and netball tournament that was said to have taken place in their village in December.
The metro’s communications manager Keith Ngesi had not responded to questions sent to him on Thursday by the time of going to print.
BCM’s dodgy R250K egg race
A week-long Saturday Dispatch investigation sparked by the “disappearance” of a sponsorship fund meant to benefit sports development within the metro has turned up a number of facts.
The issue was first raised during a council meeting where councillors called for a forensic investigation into the use of unapproved state funds.
Today, Saturday Dispatch can reveal that six sports tournaments were allocated R2.1-million by the metro last year. The events did not take place despite a number of companies being paid.
In addition to the “ghost” events, BCM’s head of events and entertainment, councillor Pumla Nazo told the Dispatch this week that a R3-million “allocation”, listed in a council report as having benefited the Buyel’Ekhaya music festival, did not go to the festival.
The festival’s disputed allocation brings the unaccounted for funds to R5.2-million.
Speaking to the Dispatch this week, Nazo said: “I was not in the meeting when this matter was brought up but I heard about the R3-million and I immediately said there was no such thing.
“The sports sponsorship committee never gave us money. The Buyel’Ekhaya festival has nothing to do with sports and it has always been financed by the finance department. There needs to be a correction of that allocation; that money did not come to us.”
Nazo said they had requested R4.9-million from the council for the festival.
A report before council revealed that a Mdantsane-based maintenance company claimed R250000 to host an egg-and-spoon race, a tug-of-war contest, a bucket race and a soccer tournament. The event was due to take place on December 5 and 6 last year, but sources say it never did. The funds were paid to Mzukisi Kebeni’s Khutshu Khutshu Maintenance company.
Called for answers this week, Kebeni said: “I don’t want to talk to you. My case is with the lawyers now and I don’t know if the event happened or not.”
Boxing South Africa (BSA) in the province distanced itself from a boxing tournament for which businessman Koko Godlo’s KK Productions received R700000. The event was meant to have taken place in November, but BSA said Godlo last hosted a tournament in 2014.
BSA’s Phakamile Jacobs said: “The only boxing tournament we had in East London on that day was organised by another promoter and for the rest of the year until the last tournament on December 16 there was nothing hosted by KK Productions.”
Attempts to get comment from Godlo since Wednesday proved fruitless as he did not answer his phone. His only response to questions sent via a text message was “I’m in a meeting”.
The funds in question were part of a R17.3-million sports sponsorship programme, which the metro’s sports sponsorship committee, led by councillor Ayanda Peter, allocated without council’s approval last year.
A BCM sub-unions rugby tournament that was allocated R560000 never took place. The funding was allocated to Vuyolwethu Booi’s Ndesane Trading company.
Booi is the nephew of ward 33 ward councillor Batini Booi. When contacted by the Dispatch he said the money was used to buy teams’ playing kit.
“Yes the tournament never took place because when we approached Border Rugby we were told the season had closed,” he said.
A cleaning company from Mdantsane was paid R250000 to host a hockey tournament at Stirling and Cambridge high schools.
The company, Mbonana Garden Cleaning & Maintenance Services (Pty) Ltd was paid the money. Speaking to the Dispatch last week, organiser Zanoxolo Mqashane said the hockey tournament took place in Mdantsane.
However, the Dispatch understands that there are no hockey facilities in Mdantsane.
When asked this week where exactly in Mdantsane the tournament had taken place, Mqashane said: “We got the funding from the municipality and not from the Dispatch. I do not answer to you but to the municipality.”
Border Hockey’s Tim Stria, sports headmaster at Cambridge High School said: “I was the chairman of the Border Association last year and there was no tournament like that in Stirling and Cambridge.
“We have never heard of that company or anyone by the name of Zanoxolo. We have never worked with him.”
lDisadvantaged rural youth from Potsdam and their ward councillor Veliwe Sakube were shocked when questioned about a R150000 soccer, rugby and netball tournament that was said to have taken place in their village in December.
The metro’s communications manager Keith Ngesi had not responded to questions sent to him on Thursday by the time of going to print.
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