The DA in Elias Motsoaledi has written to the Public Protector, to look into about R3 million spent on a Ward Committee Conference held outside of the municipality at the Forever Resorts Bela Bela in October 2024, while the municipality faces challenges such as poor service delivery.
The poor and misguided decision to host about 400 people for the Ward Committee Conference outside the municipality came at a great cost. DA councillors decided not to attend in protest to the cost implications of this wasteful use of taxpayer money. Some of the expenses the municipality has incurred for the conference include:
- R1 030 773.75 on Accommodation for Councillors
- R893 550 on the Conference package at Forever Resorts Bela Bela
- R513 532 for the supply and delivery of Golf t-shirts for the ward committee conference
- R142 011 for Fifteen 22 seater taxis from all wards to transport ward committee members
- R 864 432 on 400 soft shell jackets for 310 ward committee members, 61 members of council and 29 officials for a ward committee conference and 260 hiker-hats for EPWP participants
The DA has consistently proposed and maintained that such events should be held at a municipal building at no cost or at more cost-effective locations within the municipal boundaries in order to support local businesses and grow the local economy. Many of the costs could have been avoided if the municipality had been prudent in spending municipal funds.
We believe this is wasteful expenditure and an unacceptable waste of limited financial resources, especially when the municipality is struggling with providing basic services to residents. The DA also wrote to the speaker previously over concerns of the use of agencies to book venues and accommodation when the municipality has the capacity to do it.
The DA is vehemently opposed to the reckless spending of municipal resources and will continue to champion responsible spending. The residents of Elias Motsoaledi deserve better.