Buffalo City Metro’s controversial lekgotla scheduled to run over three days at Mpekweni Beach Resort was cut short yesterday as ANC councillors rushed to East London to be addressed by party deputy secretary-general Jesse Duarte.
BCM staff including 100 councillors, 25 traditional leaders, heads of department and officials were booked into the resort from Sunday and scheduled to return to East London this afternoon. However, many said on Monday they learnt they had to check out yesterday.
The three-day workshop, which was supposed to address the region’s Integrated Development Plan (IDP), the budget and other matters, was slammed by opposition parties as a waste of money.
Council chief whip Mzwandile Vaaibom denied claims the lekgotla had been cut short to accommodate Duarte’s visit, saying it had been decided last Friday that the workshop would be for two days.
Duarte was to address hundreds of branch members at the East London City Hall from 5pm yesterday.
The Daily Dispatch reported on Monday that opposition parties slated the Mpekweni outing, which was estimated to cost the metro more than R500000.
This after Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan called for cost-cutting in all municipalities.
Opposition parties said the meeting could have been at the newly renovated and revamped city hall which cost the metro more than R5-million – and which is where councillors have been summoned today to continue the IDP discussions.
Last week mayoral spokesman Sibusiso Cindi said the workshop had been budgeted for and that “there is no cheaper alternative as when holding workshops in East London the experience has been that there are lots of disruptions hence taking it away for full concentration, especially because we shall be concluding the budget of the municipality”.
COPE’s councillor Khayalandile Twalingca said yesterday: “The items were not concluded and they will only be finished tomorrow. This just proves that their excuse that ward councillors are disrupted at the city hall is a lie.
“If they are disrupted as they claim, what will stop the disruptions tomorrow when they meet there again?”
Mpekweni outing cut short for Duarte EL address
BCM staff including 100 councillors, 25 traditional leaders, heads of department and officials were booked into the resort from Sunday and scheduled to return to East London this afternoon. However, many said on Monday they learnt they had to check out yesterday.
The three-day workshop, which was supposed to address the region’s Integrated Development Plan (IDP), the budget and other matters, was slammed by opposition parties as a waste of money.
Council chief whip Mzwandile Vaaibom denied claims the lekgotla had been cut short to accommodate Duarte’s visit, saying it had been decided last Friday that the workshop would be for two days.
Duarte was to address hundreds of branch members at the East London City Hall from 5pm yesterday.
The Daily Dispatch reported on Monday that opposition parties slated the Mpekweni outing, which was estimated to cost the metro more than R500000.
This after Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan called for cost-cutting in all municipalities.
Opposition parties said the meeting could have been at the newly renovated and revamped city hall which cost the metro more than R5-million – and which is where councillors have been summoned today to continue the IDP discussions.
Last week mayoral spokesman Sibusiso Cindi said the workshop had been budgeted for and that “there is no cheaper alternative as when holding workshops in East London the experience has been that there are lots of disruptions hence taking it away for full concentration, especially because we shall be concluding the budget of the municipality”.
COPE’s councillor Khayalandile Twalingca said yesterday: “The items were not concluded and they will only be finished tomorrow. This just proves that their excuse that ward councillors are disrupted at the city hall is a lie.
“If they are disrupted as they claim, what will stop the disruptions tomorrow when they meet there again?”
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