Durban — eThekwini’s full council meeting could be disrupted again on Thursday as the opposition plans to demand to see the report on the Durban International Convention Centre’s R5 million saga.
Political parties have accused city manager Musa Mbhele of hiding the report. They said the City Integrity and Investigation Unit (CIIU) had told them that it had been submitted to the city manager.
African Democratic Change leader Visvin Reddy said the opposition parties were angered by Mbhele’s denial that the report had been submitted while the CIIU had confirmed that it was at his office.
Reddy turned on mayor Mxolisi Kaunda, demanding that he come clean and explain what was happening with the report.
“This report has been finalised and (was) handed to the city manager last week, which was confirmed by the head of the investigating unit via email to me. However, the city manager denied having seen this report at a Party Whips meeting today ( on Wednesday)
“So, who is telling the truth? As ADeC, we believe that eThekwini is reaching a point of no return, and its total collapse is imminent. We demand that the mayor shows leadership and gives us the facts. As councillors, we want the report tabled before any meeting of council. Failing which, we call on the mayor to step down,” said Reddy.
He said he would not allow Thursday’s council meeting to start if the report was not released.
The meeting was expected to debate ActionSA’s motion against the ICC board. The party wants the board dissolved but it is unclear whether the motion will be heard since the meeting will be virtual.
The party leader, Zwakele Mncwango, said his party would demand the report before the meeting started.
Mncwango said he had twice written to Mbhele, asking to be given the report but he had been ignored, even though the CCIU has said it was at Mbhele’s office.
The IFP also questioned Mbhele’s refusal to give Mncwango the report when he was a complainant. It said it was strange that the CIIU would prefer the suspect to see the report before giving the complainant the opportunity to view it.
Municipal spokesperson Gugu Sisilana refused to say whether the report had been completed and submitted to the city manager’s office. Instead, she asked that the CIIU be given the necessary space to conclude the investigation.
ActionSA had written to the CIIU, asking the body to investigate the allegations that the ICC and the municipality had signed a memorandum of understanding that the city would carry the costs of the KwaZulu-Natal ANC Women’s League conference that was held at the ICC in August.
It had emerged that the city had not paid for it; the ANC in eThekwini had been asked to pay. It had also emerged that the ANC had apparently asked a certain service provider to pay on its behalf, Mncwango said.
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