DA to ask AG to probe shambolic Commonwealth bid

Issued by Tsepo Mhlongo MP – DA Shadow Minister of Sport and Recreation
20 Mar 2017 in News

The DA will write to the Auditor General (AG), Kimi Makwetu, to request that he launches a special investigation into the R 118 million which the Minister of Sport and Recreation, ‘Razzmatazz’ Fikile Mbalula, has wasted on Durban’s shambolic bid to host the Commonwealth Games in 2022.

This past week, media reports confirmed the DA’s warnings that South Africa could not afford to host the Games when Durban lost the right to host the Commonwealth Games due to financial constraints.

The always flashy and extravagant Mbalula was adamant that South Africa host the Commonwealth Games, despite knowing that we did not have the money to play host, and most likely plays to his need for prestige.

R 118 million was wasted on this bidding process, a process that all the relevant parties should have known, from the beginning, would amount to nothing, considering that the government could only cough up R 4 billion, for an event that would cost more than double that amount.

A special AG investigation must probe precisely how much of the public’s money was spent during the bidding process, and whether it was fruitless and wasteful expenditure on the part of Minister Mbalula, who has no regard for cost-effective measures, in a country where the majority of South Africans can barely afford to put food on the table.

Not only did Minister Mbalula and his delegation fail to present a feasible budget on numerous occasions, but SASCOC also failed to do a financial impact assessment to determine the impact of South Africa hosting such an event.

The DA firmly believe that this money could have and should have been spent to develop and assist South African sports men and women and to ensure that young aspirant athletes are given the support they desperately need and deserve.

The fact that it was, not only illustrates that the ANC and the Minister prioritise prestige over the needs of South Africans.