MORE than 1000 ANC councillors met in East London yesterday, bringing an economic boost to the city.
Hotels across the city were booked up on Sunday night with roughly 1050 visiting councillors.
ANC provincial chairman and finance MEC Phumulo Masualle called the councillors to a meeting at the East London International Convention Centre .
The meeting was called following poor audit outcomes achieved by municipalities in the 2011-12 financial year – the councillors’ first financial year in office.
None of the province’s 45 municipalities received a clean audit.
Border-Kei Chamber of Business executive chairman Les Holbrook said the influx of people into the city was good for business.
He estimated each councillor would spend between R1500 and R2000 a day on accommodation, food, and disposable income, while visiting the city.
This worked out to between R1.6- million and R2.1-million for every day the councillors were in town.
The councillors arrived in East London on Saturday and Sunday, and most are expected to leave today . This means that accumulatively, they could spend between R3-million and R4-million during their stay.
“The city benefits hugely from that spending,” Holbrook said.
Premier Hotel and Resorts marketing manager Eugene Oelofse said it had been “an exceptionally busy” few days. “We saw a substantial rise in room occupancy,” he said. “On Sunday night we saw a huge spike with the ANC delegates in town.
“We had about 1200 attend our luncheon downstairs, and there were just people everywhere. The event went off without a hitch. The event has definitely lifted revenues, and it’s great that they support the area.”
Managers for the Kat Leisure group were unavailable for comment yesterday afternoon. —
ANC councillors spend big in EL
Hotels across the city were booked up on Sunday night with roughly 1050 visiting councillors.
ANC provincial chairman and finance MEC Phumulo Masualle called the councillors to a meeting at the East London International Convention Centre .
The meeting was called following poor audit outcomes achieved by municipalities in the 2011-12 financial year – the councillors’ first financial year in office.
None of the province’s 45 municipalities received a clean audit.
Border-Kei Chamber of Business executive chairman Les Holbrook said the influx of people into the city was good for business.
He estimated each councillor would spend between R1500 and R2000 a day on accommodation, food, and disposable income, while visiting the city.
This worked out to between R1.6- million and R2.1-million for every day the councillors were in town.
The councillors arrived in East London on Saturday and Sunday, and most are expected to leave today . This means that accumulatively, they could spend between R3-million and R4-million during their stay.
“The city benefits hugely from that spending,” Holbrook said.
Premier Hotel and Resorts marketing manager Eugene Oelofse said it had been “an exceptionally busy” few days. “We saw a substantial rise in room occupancy,” he said. “On Sunday night we saw a huge spike with the ANC delegates in town.
“We had about 1200 attend our luncheon downstairs, and there were just people everywhere. The event went off without a hitch. The event has definitely lifted revenues, and it’s great that they support the area.”
Managers for the Kat Leisure group were unavailable for comment yesterday afternoon. —
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