Investigations under way into ANCWL ICC bill

Durban — Just who footed the R4.7 million bill for the ANC Women's League (ANCWL) elective conference, held at Durban’s ICC, is under investigation.

Opposition political parties want to know if the eThekwini Municipality used ratepayers money to foot the bill for the conference held in August 2023.

EThekwini Municipality spokesperson Gugu Sisilana confirmed, on Monday, that the City’s Integrity and Investigations Unit (CIIU) had pro-actively launched an investigation into the matter in August. Sisilana said the probe was launched after media allegations surfaced.

ActionSA KZN provincial chairperson Zwakele Mncwango said it was an irregular use of public funds to pay for ANC party activities. Mncwango said eThekwini’s inaction in the matter of payment required public scrutiny.

“We are aware that the final invoice from the ICC totalled R4 794 824.21, which was submitted to the municipality. In a damning development, the deputy city manager, Sipho Cele’s signature appears on the agreement contract between the municipality and the ICC.

ActionSA requested that the investigation focus on the following:

• Under what circumstances did Cele see it fit to sign this agreement with the ICC to cover costs for the ANCWL?
• Who gave Cele the ‘go-ahead’ to sign the document?
• Besides Cele, are there other City officials or leaders who participated in this act of corruption?
• What has happened after the municipality received an invoice from the ICC?
• Due to the lack of action from City leaders, at what stage did they become aware of this agreement?
• Are there any criminal charges that will be taken against those who are implicated in this corruption?
• What laws have been violated (i.e. Municipal Financial Management Act) in this regard by Cele and others, should more people be implicated?
• Which senior managers/officials from the ICC are implicated in this corrupt act?
• The 30-day period of the payment of the invoice to the ICC has lapsed. There needs to be an indication of who paid the R4.7m invoice?
• If the invoice was finally paid by an individual or entity outside the municipality, there has to be transparency of: Who is the Individual/entity; what relationship do they have with the municipality and if the municipality has recently made a transaction of the R4.7m into the individual’s/entity’s account/s?

Sisilana made it clear that the CIIU investigation was not done because of the complaint lodged, last week, by ActionSA.

Sisilana said the investigative work carried out by the CIIU is not driven by political party complaints.

“The City Integrity and Investigations Unit pro-actively investigates any issue that calls into question the City’s integrity without fear or favour, as it was done in this instance,” Sisilana said.

WhatsApp your views on this story at 071 485 7995.

Daily News

• eThekwini ANC Women’s League has new leadership

• Sithole-Moloi urges KZN ANC Women’s League’s dissolved structure to accept the decision

• KZN ANC Women’s League conference ‘rigged’