In a surprising move, the Makana Council has condoned controversial payments for a 2010 soccer-coaching programme from which it's still not clear who benefited – and is set to pay the company another R240 000, despite concerns raised by Municipal Manager Ntombi Baart.
In a surprising move, the Makana Council has condoned controversial payments for a 2010 soccer-coaching programme from which it's still not clear who benefited – and is set to pay the company another R240 000, despite concerns raised by Municipal Manager Ntombi Baart.
Earlier this year Council was told funds had been paid to Ubumbano Sport Development Academy, owned by former municipal official Lulamile Bikitsha, for sport clinics to be held in the run-up to the soccer world cup.
Former Makana Mayor Vumile Lwana had assisted Ubumbano to secure the deal. After months of deferring the matter, on Wednesday the council finally decided to condone the payment. There wasn't much discussion as ANC councillors Julia Wells, Pierre Ranchhod and Zamuxolo Peter quickly moved before the matter could be discussed further.
In a document presented to council, Baart had recommended that:
* Council note that no procurement processes were followed in appointing Ubumbano.
* Council deem an amount of R240 000 paid to Ubumbano on 30 September 2010 as irregular and unauthorised expenditure and that the expenditure be reported to the MEC for Local Government and the Auditor General.
Wells, however, described the project as a "sincere effort on the part of our mayor (Vumile Lwana)" in the spirit of the 2010 Fifa World Cup to provide the sport clinics to people who would not usually have access to such.
She suggested that council support and condone the expenditure of more than half a million. And Finance Portfolio chairperson Pierre Ranchod seconded Wells's motion, suggested that in addition, Ubumbano be paid the outstanding amount of R240 000.
Grocott's Mail first reported on the Ubumbano payments in March and pointed out that reporters had struggled to find people who had benefited from the programme. However, apparently backing Ubumbano's claims, later that week, the newspaper received a surprise visit from four young men who live in Broughton Farm, a settlement near Salem.
They were keen to tell Grocott's Mail how much they'd benefited from coaching clinics offered by Ubumbano. One of them, Ayanda Ngindo, said he had attended sporting and recreation activities offered by Ubumbano last December and in March.
"We were taught how to manage sports clubs," he said. Another Broughton Farm resident, Zolani Tsana, said he had also participated in the coaching clinics "for all codes of sport". He said there had been a clinic last year and another in January.
He said the coaching clinic in January had looked at team management and wrestling.
