Government spends R22 million on statues while beaches are closed due to sewage
The eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal spent almost R22 million to erect two statues while beaches are still closed due to high E.coli levels in the water which is caused by poor maintenance of the infrastructure.
These statues of Oliver Tambo and former president Nelson Mandela were procured from China in 2017, while Warner and Winkelspruit, two of the 11 swimming beaches in the eThekwini metro, are closed due to high levels of E.coli (higher than 5,000 units). The beach in Amanzimtoti is also closed from time to time due to raw sewage flowing into the sea.
According to Eugene van Aswegen, AfriForum’s Provincial Coordinator for KwaZulu-Natal, the R22 million spent on statues is a great example of how the ANC wastes taxpayers’ money. “Erecting statues while people do not have water and beaches are closed due to sewage pollution indicates the misappropriation and incompetence of the ANC. Our tax money is spent on trifles while KwaZulu-Natal’s dilapidated infrastructure receives no attention and our coastal areas are polluted.”
“Taxpayers must hold the municipality responsible for the wasted funds. It is our communities’ money that they are wasting while we drown in the sewage and must drive through potholes to work. AfriForum will put pressure on the local authorities to investigate this matter and file complaints at the local police station against the municipal manager about the sewage pollution of our beaches if it is not resolved,” Van Aswegen concludes.
AfriForum encourages the community to sign the petition and thereby strengthen the cause. Click here for more information.
