Last Thursday, ActionSA held a protest outside the Durban ICC where it handed over a memorandum to officials, calling for transparency into whether or not ratepayers were expected to pay for an ANCWL conference. Picture: Tumi Pakkies/ANA
The Durban International Convention Centre (Durban ICC) has hit back at allegations of corruption and collusion with the ANC to bill eThekwini ratepayers nearly R5m for hosting the ANC Women’s League Conference.
In a statement, Durban ICC Chief Executive Officer, Lindiwe Rakharebe called the allegation made by ActionSA false and rejected “any claims regarding the existence of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Durban ICC and eThekwini Municipality that purportedly involved the use of public funds to finance the conference”.
“The Durban ICC categorically denies any wrongdoing in this matter,” the statement said.
“Our institution is unwaveringly committed to the principles of good governance, transparency, and accountability. We take immense pride in our long-standing track record of numerous clean audits, reflecting our dedication to upholding the highest standards of integrity and ethical conduct in all of our operations,” said Rakharebe.
“Furthermore, we strongly refute any false allegations which have been made regarding members of the Durban ICC board,” added Rakharebe.
Accusations have been levelled against the Durban ICC, alleging collusion with the ANC-led eThekwini Municipality in billing the City for a "Woman's Month Launch", which in reality, was the ANCWL conference in disguise.
In an effort to shed light on these allegations, IOL submitted a series of questions to the Durban ICC, directed at CEO Lindiwe Rakharebe and Board chairperson Glen Mashinini.
The did not respond to the specific questions raised by IOL, but sent a statement to the media.
The allegations were first raised by ActionSA's provincial chairperson, Zwakele Mncwango, who exposed the alleged invoice presented by the ICC to the City, masquerading as a charge for the "Woman's Month Launch."
Last Thursday, ActionSA held a protest outside the Durban ICC where it handed over a memorandum to officials, calling for transparency into the matter.
They claim that the ICC and the eThekwini Municipality signed a Memorandum of Understanding to fully fund the ANC Women’s League Conference, by coughing up R5,089,781,90 from ratepayer money, which was latter invoiced to the Municipality at a total of R4,794,824,21.
The Durban ICC in its statement did not answer who paid for the ANCWL conference, but acknowledged that the matter is currently under investigation by the City Integrity and Investigations Unit (CIIU) of the eThekwini Municipality.
It said it fully respects the vital role of the CIIU in ensuring transparency and accountability.
The entity confirmed that it is cooperating “unreservedly with the CIIU's investigation and remains committed to the truth and to upholding the highest standards of ethical conduct”.
“We remain dedicated to providing world-class service to our clients and the community. We are confident that the ongoing investigation will confirm our dedication to good governance and the principles of integrity that have been the cornerstone of our institution,” concluded Rakharebe.
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