Durban - Msunduzi Municipality City Manager Lulamile Mapholoba has dismissed suggestions of anything untoward about the council meeting that approved a R27 million sponsorship deal for Royal AM football club last week.
He said this in reaction to a statement from DA councillor Ross Strachan, which said the voting process during the meeting had been flawed.
“Today (Wednesday) the majority in the council approved the sponsorship of R27m over three years to Royal AM Football Club via a flawed voting process that was manipulated by both the city manager and the Speaker. The arrogance and total disregard shown in this meeting fly in the face of the values of our Constitution,” said Strachan in the statement issued last week.
The DA councillor said they would continue to use any platform available to express their opposition to the approval, which had also been condemned by ratepayer bodies.
On Monday, the city manager described Strachan’s statement of manipulation of voting processes as unjust, improper, and bordering on defamation of character.
“His sentiments are harmful and tantamount to tarnishing my name with residents and destabilising the work I am employed to undertake. Secondly, the insinuation that I acted outside of my purview and manipulated the results of the voting is malicious and undermines me in my personal capacity as the accounting officer of Msunduzi Municipality,” said Mapholoba.
He reiterated that the decision to approach Royal AM was based on the intention to make sure that Harry Gwala Stadium, which is owned by the municipality, was put to good use and did not become a white elephant from the 2010 Soccer World Cup.
The city manager stressed that the sponsorship of sporting bodies was not unique to the Msunduzi Municipality, citing the City of Mbombela in Mpumalanga province, which has a sponsorship agreement with the Mpumalanga Rugby Union (Pumas); and eThekwini Municipality, which sponsors numerous sporting clubs including Amazulu FC, the Sharks, and Golden Arrows.
According to Mapholoba, while the council sitting in which the sponsorship deal got approved was virtual, everything had been done in line with the rules of governance.
He also dismissed suggestions that Council Speaker Eunice Majola had manipulated the voting process.
“The Speaker did not manipulate anything at the meeting, and in fact presided over the meeting in accordance with the approved Rules of Order By-Laws,” Mapholoba continued.
The city manager called on the DA councillor to refrain from slandering his name and tarnishing his image and reputation with the citizens of Pietermaritzburg.