Durban — UMzinyathi District Municipality mayor Petros Ngubane has denied that the municipality used R2.5 million to fund the recent Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi marathon.
The mayor accused the regional ANC leadership of poisoning staff with politics. Ngubane was responding to ANC chief whip Siduduzo Mdluli who accused the IFP-led municipality of diverting funds for service delivery to funding social projects such as the marathon, named after the party’s president emeritus.
Mdluli had claimed the municipality failed to pay workers on Friday because the municipality was bankrupt after spending the money on the marathon, but Ngubane denied this, saying all employees were paid their salaries and accused Mdluli of fabricating lies.
The mayor also denied that the marathon was funded with R2.5m, saying the municipality used R700 000 to pay for a doctor who examined the athletes and also for ambulances escorting athletes on the road. The marathon started in Dundee and ended in Nquthu earlier this month. Ngubane believed the noise emanated from the municipality’s decision to stop overtime because people were falsely claiming it, plunging the municipality into financial trouble, adding that it will not happen any more.
The mayor said the ANC had destroyed financial management in the municipality from 2011 to 2016, while it was in charge, with the municipality receiving disclaimers. Since the IFP took the reins it has improved from the disclaimer to qualified and he vowed to get an unqualified report in the next audit at the end of October.
Buthelezi's spokesperson Liezl van der Merwe said Prince Buthelezi was not aware of these allegations because as president emeritus he was not part of the day-to-day running of the party.
“Prince Buthelezi has dedicated much of his career to the fight against corruption and he is a great example of ethical and servant leadership.”
On Sunday, Mdluli said workers had not been paid, but when the matter was raised on Friday, some were paid half their salaries. It was minuted that the municipality requested R2.5m to fund the marathon, rejected by the ANC in the executive committee (Exco), but he would only know in the next exco meeting how much was spent, he said.
Daily News