Outrage over Limpopo council’s R3 million Warmbaths conference

A war of words has broken out between political parties in the Elias Motsoaledi local municipality in the Sekhukhune region in Limpopo over R3 million in alleged wasteful and irregular expenditures.

The fierce argument is between councillors from the ANC, DA, and the Bolsheviks party of South Africa.

At the centre of controversy are allegations that the ANC-led council spent more than R3 million on food, transport, and accommodation for about 300 councillors at the Belabela Aventura in Warmbaths for a councillors’ conference in October last year.

DA councillor and caucus leader Sipho Mmaboko said the party has written to the office of the Auditor-General Tsakani Maluleke, asking her office to look into the alleged wasteful expenditure. 

The party alleged the expenditure was exorbitant and that it could have been best spent on addressing service delivery backlogs, such as building municipal roads and bridges, collecting garbage and giving municipal buildings a new facelift.

A costly conference

About 400 councillors and staffers attended the conference, with the exception of the DA, as it protested the cost implications.

Some of the expenses incurred during the conference, according to the DA, included:

• R1 030 773.75 for the accommodation of councillors,
• R893 550 for 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 for 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 Extended Public Works Programme participants.

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President of the Bolsheviks Seun Mogotji was outraged 

“Sekhukhune is known in the province and beyond as a haven for both international and domestic tourists. The region boasts a wide range of sophisticated lodges, with breathtaking halls and kitchens unparalleled by any.

“We are baffled to the core that this council chose to hold their conference hundreds of kilometres away from home. What is it that Bela-Bela has that we don’t have?

“This ANC-led council must hang their heads in shame. What are they saying about the local economy?

“They must just make sure they bring back the money. It belongs to the taxpayers. Otherwise, otla nkga goss bola [a Sepedi expression which loosely translates: all hell will break loose]”.

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Municipality defends conference

Municipality spokesperson Simon Makua said the primary function of ward committees was to promote accountable and participatory governance.

“These structures are essential for ensuring that the voices of community members are heard and represented in local decision-making processes”

“The selection of the venue for the conference was conducted through a competitive bidding process. This approach was taken to ensure that the municipality addresses the required capacity needs of the attendees while also being mindful of the associated cost.

“It is also important to note that due to capacity limitations within Sekhukhune, no local venue was able to accommodate the 390 delegates expected at the conference. This necessitated the selection of a venue outside the immediate area,” said Makua. 

Makua said his municipality remained committed to transparency and accountability in all its operations. 

“We adhere strictly to the bidding process and are dedicated to ensuring that the ward committee conference not only fulfils its objectives but also contributes to local economic empowerment,” he said.