Freedom celebrations costing a bomb

THE Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality has until the end of the month to decide how much it will spend on the countrywide 20 Years of Freedom and Democracy celebrations. While an item that was supposed to be tabled at the last council meeting last month stated that the metro needed about R15-million for the commemorations, the 2013-2014 adjustments budget only makes provision for R1.474-million.

The adjustments budget will be discussed at a joint mayoral and budget and treasury committee meeting tomorrow, but it will only be passed by council at the end of the month.

Also, an internal memorandum from acting chief financial officer Barbara de Scande to the municipal manager and executive directors calls for departments to find an additional total of R3.6-million within their budgets to increase the celebrations budget to R5-million. The DA's caucus leader, councillor Leon de Villiers, said an item that was supposed to be tabled in council on January 31 made it clear the municipality was planning to spend R15-million.