Editor – It’s over two years since the savage hailstorm caused so much damage and suffering for our people of Emnambithi/Ladysmith (especially our disadvantaged communities in Acaciavale, Steadville, Limit Hill and Modelkloof) and the promised reparations by the ANC government have not materialised for all the affected homeowners.
The DA understands that some R96 million was allocated for reparations and that this money would seem to have all been spent without some affected homeowners getting a cent of it.
The DA has written to the Emnambithi/Ladysmith mayor on several occasions in an attempt to obtain full details of the funds that had been made available and how they were to be spent. This to no avail. Acknowledgement of one letter is all that has been received from the municipality.
The DA is convinced that the ANC and municipal officials have something to hide, otherwise why would they not provide the DA with the details we have requested?
Better still, put a full disclosure of these details in the press for all to see. The question on many lips is whether some of this huge amount of money has found its way into the pockets of ANC cadres, their friends and their families.
The local municipality may argue that these funds are national / provincial funds and not in the municipal bank account. This may be true, but the administration of the reparations clearly appears to have been done by the local municipality, with at least one report (containing limited details) having been lodged with council.
In addition, ANC councillors are reported to have made various promises about the spending of this money at community meetings. The DA will submit a question to the national minister of Co-operative Governance & Traditional Affairs to obtain full details of the money made available, on what it has been spent, and the details of which contractors received the funds.
