Call for De Lille to quit over Cape Town Cup
The loss of about R28 million in ratepayers’ money has led to the ANC calling on Patricia de Lille and two others to quit.
|||Cape Town - The loss of about R28 million in ratepayers’ money has led to the ANC calling on mayor Patricia de Lille and Mayco committee members Garreth Bloor and Xanthea Limberg to resign.
The loss was incurred due to the failed Cape Town Cup the City hosted at Cape Town Stadium last July, when Ajax Cape Town and SuperSport United took on Sporting Lisbon from Portugal and English Premiership side Crystal Palace.
City spokesperson Priya Reddy, in an e-mail, said Bloor had conceded that the revenue model for the event had been flawed.
“While we are confident that we followed all due legal and financial requirements, it is clear that the underlying revenue model for the event had flawed assumptions. Further, it is also clear that there were shortcomings in the marketing to attract crowds to the event.
“We are sorry for these shortcomings and will do everything we can to ensure that they do not happen again,” Reddy’s e-mail read.
Bloor is responsible for tourism, events and economic development, while Limberg is head of Corporate Services
.
A report on the Cape Town Cup confirmed that the City had spent about R30m on it, but only about R1.6m in revenue had been generated.
Only 22 000 tickets were sold for the tournament, held over a weekend.
The flopped event prompted City executive director of tourism, events and marketing Anton Groenewald to resign. ANC chief whip in the council Xolani Sotashe said on Sunday it was not good enough that the City had apologised for the loss.
He said his party would not rest until the Treasury and the public protector investigated how and why so much money was lost.
“All those involved in planning the event must face the music and resign, including the mayor. An apology is just a statement,” he said.
“Look at this flop. How many houses, schools and crèches could have been built with R28m. The city must do more than apologising and explain to the people how they lost taxpayers’ money.
“They gave assurances before the tournament that the stadium would be full. They must also explain why participating teams were not paid the same amount. Does that mean SA teams are not good enough?”
ANC leader in the council Tony Ehrenreich said: “I don’t understand why the City did not fire all those involved in the planning and approval.
“They should be held accountable for the loss of taxpayers’ money.”
He said the ANC had written to the minister of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs to take action and hold the city to account.
michael.nkalane@inl.co.za
@siyaks
Cape Times