Note to Editors: Please kindly find attached supporting document by DA eThekwini Caucus Leader, Cllr Thabani Mthethwa.
The Democratic Alliance in eThekwini has written to City Manager, Musa Mbhele, for further clarity on a recent trip abroad he led along with the subsequent so-called investment conference.
Two weeks after the lavish trip, council has not been given any feedback on the benefits of this costly overseas trip by the City Manager. It has also come to light that as a result an investment conference said to be attended by US-based business owners and investors will take place later this month in eThekwini.
However, the DA has been reliably informed by well-placed sources that the entourage which went to the USA are not business people, as alluded by the city, but instead church members. We also see that the city is now peddling a cover-up narrative. We also understand that the international church conference disguised as an investor conference will set the city back some R30 millions of taxpayers’ money.
While we welcome any valuable prospects of investment that will boost the city’s economy and business communities, the DA is against this done in a disingenuous manner.
The DA challenges the City Manager to:
· Present facts showing the benefits of his recent trip to the USA
· Provide proof that the delegates who went abroad are indeed local members of local business and investment
· Outline full detailed costs of both the trip and the conference
We will continue to hold the municipality to account.