‘This Bela Bela conference is nothing but a waste of taxpayers’ money. It came at a huge cost, which could have been avoided’
The DA in the Elias Motsoaledi Local Municipality, Limpopo, has accused the ANC-led council of splurging millions of rands on an extravagant conference while poor communities face basic service backlogs.
Residents face patchy roads, unreliable water supply, inadequate sanitation services and a lack of fencing and lighting in public areas that leave them at the mercy of criminals.
Elias Motsoaledi conference
Meanwhile, the municipality saw nothing wrong with busing more than 300 councillors to an expensive ward committee conference held 140km away in Bela-Bela a few weeks ago.
DA councillor, Sipho Mmaboko, wrote to municipal manager Reginah Mahlakwane this week, claiming the conference amounted to wasteful expenditure.
“This Bela Bela Forever Resort ward councillors’ conference is nothing but a waste of taxpayers’ money. It came at a huge cost, which could have been avoided,” he said.
Mmaboko said his party also raised concerns with Mahlakwane over what he said were seemingly inflated numbers and costs for the trip.
These included:
- Hiring fifteen 22-seater taxis for 330 ward committee members, while there are only 310 committee members. The cost of hiring taxis to the same destination also doubled in price, increasing from R142 011 in 2025 to R302 904 in 2026.
- Accommodation for 330 ward committee members, while there are only 310 members, of which the municipality paid R1.389 million in 2026.
- 330 gift bags bought for ward committee members instead of 310. The municipality bought the 330 gift bags for R106 260.00, spent a further R149 730.00 on debossing the municipal logo, and paid R448 057 for the conference package.
“It is also particularly concerning that the 15 taxis that transported the ward committee members to Bela Bela were done so without the municipality making an order for the service.
“These anomalies and inflated prices also raise suspicion whether the conference held outside the municipality is an attempt by the ANC-led council to fund an election campaign for the upcoming 2026 local government elections using the municipality’s funds,” said Mmaboko.
Mmaboko added that his party has consistently proposed that such events should be held at a municipal building at no cost, or at more cost-effective locations within municipal boundaries, to contain costs, support local businesses and grow the local economy.
Outrage from other sectors
The Bolsheviks Party of South Africa said not only was the trip an exercise in wasteful expenditure, but it also robbed local businesses.
“The Bolsheviks stand firm against this economic slight. We demand development and what is fair and right for our local businesses. As a political organisation that has the interest of all our people, including the business community at heart, we will always advocate for a government that keeps its public funds within our borders,” secretary-general Seun Mogotji told The Citizen this week.
Secretary for the South African National Civic Organisation (Sanco) in the Sekhukhune region, Makanyoge Morwamakoti, said it was a good thing that the council empowered its councillors, “but not at the expense of service delivery and the local economy”.
“We have many accommodations in the region or within the vicinity that can house such an event. In future, the council must take such events to venues around Elias Motsoaledi or Sekhukhune. If not, heads are going to roll,” said Morwamakoti.
Municipality defends conference
When contacted for comment, the municipality said the conference formed part of the council’s approved governance and public participation programme aimed at strengthening ward committees, improving community participation and enhancing coordination on service delivery matters.
Spokesperson Simon Makua said the council has approved a budget of R2 396 295.71 for hosting the conference. He said transport arrangements were based on logistical planning, delegate distribution across wards, travel scheduling and passenger safety and capacity requirements.
“Attendees included ward committee members, councillors, officials, support staff and facilitators.
Accommodation and venue bookings were determined by the number of approved delegates and programme requirements,” said Makua, adding that the selected venue was required to provide adequate accommodation and conferencing facilities for all participants.
He said conference materials, including branded gift bags, formed part of the official programme and were procured in line with approved supply chain processes.
The package cost, Makua said, covered venue hire, accommodation, meals, conferencing facilities and other operational requirements necessary for the successful hosting of the conference.
He said the decision to host the conference outside municipal boundaries was due to the unavailability of suitable local facilities to accommodate all delegates and meet programme requirements.
“The municipality rejects allegations that the conference constituted wasteful expenditure. All expenditure forms part of the approved operational expenditure (OPEX) budget for governance and public participation and is subject to the Municipal Finance Management Act, supply chain regulations and audit processes.
“We remain committed to transparency, accountability and responsible financial management,” Makua added.