R19 million has been spent by the DA in Cape Town on catering and events after just seven months into the new financial year.
Cape Town – The ANC is up in arms over the R19 million it says the City has spent on catering and events after just seven months into the new financial year, while the City says the ANC is confused as it was the budget for the entire year.
Deputy mayor Ian Neilson said the City had spent R7m in the first seven months of the financial year.
The ANC City caucus leader Xolani Sotashe recently wrote a letter to the Speaker of the council asking what the nature of these events were, but the City said the information circulated by the ANC was inaccurate.
Sotashe wrote in the letter: “This fortune was irregular expenditure from July 1 till now. This means that in seven months, the DA-led City has blown an average of R2 78 462.57 per month on a catering frenzy. This is absolutely disgusting, given that many of our poorer areas in Cape Town are battling to get basic services.”
According to Sotashe, out of the more than R19m splurged on events, the safety and security directorate has spent R15 512 677 on catering.
“There is no way that taxpayers can be taken for a ride… How can you spend close to R20 million in six months on food? It means that each department has spent R2.6 million a month. Heads must roll,” he said.
Neilson said: “The amount of R19.5m is the catering budget for the whole year. The spend to-date is R7m.”
Neilson provided a breakdown of the larger amounts certain directorates had spent so far. The community services and health directorate spent R2 052 467 relating to youth development and training programmes, and the office of the city manager has spent R1 724 736 on the Walking Bus Project, the mayoral outreach programme, soup kitchen initiatives, Youth Day events and Women’s Day celebrations.
@MarvinCharles17
Cape Argus
