Spat over City billboards
The IFP accused the ANC of misuse of taxpayers' money to further their election campaign.
A WAR of words has erupted between the uThungulu District IFP and ANC over the City of uMhlathuze’s mayoral billboards displayed in the Empangeni and Richards Bay central business districts.
At a media briefing in Empangeni, the IFP accused the ANC of continued misuse of taxpayers’ money to further their election campaign.
IFP NEC member and uThungulu District Municipality Councillor Xolani Ngwezi said his party was concerned that the ANC leadership cared more about holding on to power than addressing serious issues such as unemployment.
‘We know that more than R500 000 was used for the billboards. That money should rather have been used for student bursaries or job creation for our youth, or towards improving services in surrounding townships.
Ngwezi said they were saddened that the municipality was gradually deviating from its core function, which is to deliver basic services to the people.
‘These billboards do not benefit the poor, but only the ANC. These are just election posters in disguise. This issue was never even discussed in council meetings,’ he said.
ANC Musa Dladla Regional Deputy Chairperson and uThungulu Deputy Mayor, Nonhle Mkhulisi, refuted the IFP’s claims, dismissing them as ‘sour grapes’.
‘This is a cheap publicity stunt by the IFP. They know that uMhlathuze is the fastest growing city in the country, and big cities behave like this. There is no truth in the claim that we are campaigning in disguise.
‘When we embark on an election campaign, we do it openly and in style, and the face of our campaign revolves around President Zuma, not the mayors.
‘The reality is that these billboards form part of the marketing campaign by the municipality to profile our city and to attract investors,’ Mkhulisi said.
‘We know this was not a council resolution, but the money was sourced from capital project funds.
‘All big cities have such billboards, even in Nkandla there is a big billboard showing the face of an IFP strongman and Mayor of Nkandla Municipality, but we have never made any noise about it,’ she said.
