Note to Editors: Please find evidence here, and a soundbite by Cllr Leah Knott here
The DA in Johannesburg calls on Cllr Loyiso Masuku and Floyd Brink to resign in shame for their role in the irregular diversion of funds to pay for an R2.6 million party for 500 employees. It was reported this morning that money was diverted from hard-won loco allowances to a slush fund that would allow Masuku and Brink to loot the City coffers.
The loco allowances were a hard-won victory by the DA for the unions and the workers, especially for the front-line workers who had not had an increase for over a decade. These are workers who are most vulnerable to the massive cost of living increases our country has experienced and require the allowances, to get to, and actually do their jobs.
This blatant corruption demonstrates that the Doomsday Coalition will continue to put their interests far ahead of residents’. This confirms the DA’s position that Council should be dissolved and validates the DA’s court challenge on the irregular appointment of Floyd Brink as City Manager even further.
It is disgusting that in the face of increased power and water outages, Masuku had her cronies in the department push through an irregular request to burn through over R2.6 million, of which over R1 400 000 will be spent on watches and branded puffer jackets. Over R76 000 went to venue hire, while R170 000 went to “management fees” which is obfuscated as the contract goes through the Metropolitan Trading Company – which does not disclose the name of the service providers. We are told the reason for this non-disclosure, is because the service providers are linked to Masuku herself.
The city has its own venues for hire, can do internal catering, and is under strict instruction from National Treasury to eliminate all expenditure on parties and gifts. Residents of Joburg have a right to be angry, as there is no excuse for this abuse of critical funds.
The DA will continue to investigate this matter until we get to the bottom of it. All information about this abuse of critical budgets must be exposed. The DA will continue to fight for accountability for the use of Joburg’s constrained budget.
Joburg deserves transparency, ethical leadership, and the highest standards of governance. The time for decisive action is now; the time to dissolve council and get rid of the rot is now.