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Shack dwellers association Abahlali baseMjondolo is threatening to protest against the ANC, following the decision of eThekwini Municipality to spend over R54 million of its budget to sponsor Durban-based sports teams.
This comes after it emerged last week that the city would sponsor Royal AM FC, a club owned by flamboyant Durban-based businessman Shauwn Mkhize, for R5,25m a year for three years. This totals R15,7m.
Lamontville Golden Arrows, which is owned by Manto Madlala, will get the same amount.
AmaZulu FC, owned by the politically connected businessman Sandile Zungu, will see its sponsorship soar to R3,75m from R2,5m a year for the next three years. This amounts to over R11m in three years.
The Cell C Sharks rugby team will bag R4m for the next three years, totalling R12m.
Combined, this is more than R54m in sponsorship in the next three years.
This figure has left Abahlali baseMjondolo furious.
“Many shack dwellers don’t have water and toilets, and yet the municipality decides to give away millions of rands to people who already have a lot of money,” said Thapelo Mohapi, spokesperson of Abahlali baseMjondolo.
He added that it was ironic because the ANC always claimed to care about the masses. “But clearly, they don’t care about us.”
“We support sports, but you can’t neglect poor people in favour of supporting people who are wealthy like Shauwn Mkhize and Sandile Zungu. We will make sure that our voice is heard. This is a big injustice done by the city to us as people,” said Mohapi.
He added that with more than 100,000 members, Abahlali baseMjondolo in KZN, Gauteng, Mpumalanga and Eastern Cape, will not vote for the ANC in the upcoming local government elections on 1 November.
During the Exco meeting last week, DA caucus leader Nicole Graham crushed the proposal, saying wealthy people like the Royal AM’s Mkhize should finance their own teams.
Mayor Mxolis Kaunda defended the sponsorships, saying they would help the city market itself and grow its tourism.
He said the money for the sponsorships came from the city’s business support, tourism and markets unit.
Image source: @SAfm
