INSTEAD of using the R2.3-million allocated to replace the furnace at Mobeni Heights Crematorium, the money has now been reallocated by the city’s Capital Adjustment Budget to help fund the R21-million required to build statues of Oliver Tambo and Nelson Mandela in the city, raising the ire of the Democratic Alliance (DA)
According to DA ward councillor, Ganas Govender, the Mobeni Heights Crematorium has not been fully operational for almost eight years. The facility only has one operational furnace and can only conduct four cremations per day.
“This means that too often bereaved families are sent to Clare Estate and Verulam to cremate their loved ones. Cremation at private crematoria is far more expensive than at Mobeni Heights, which often makes things difficult for grieving families,” said Govender.
He said DA councillors had engaged with municipal officials for years on this issue and were relieved to finally see the required R2.3 million in the 2017 budget, but that the money was now going to be used to build statues.
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“The DA has no problem with statues of Nelson Mandela and OR Tambo, but believes the required cost of R21 million is exorbitant. This is made worse when the budget is taken from much needed service delivery. On numerous occasions during 2017, councillors asked officials on the progress of the upgrade to the Crematorium and were told that the tender process was still in progress,” said Govender.
Services not statues for eThekwini Ganas Govender @Our_DAhttps://t.co/aV5WuFcT91 pic.twitter.com/eeuxiwISQe
— DA KZN (@DA_KZN) March 5, 2018
Responding to queries by Berea Mail, eThekwini Head of Communications, Tozi Mthethwa, said service delivery would not be hampered because of the adjustment budget processes.
“Council may revise its annual budget by means of an adjustments budget at prescribed by legislation. The report to committee with regard to the proposal of these statues gives detailed reasons for the adjustment budget implementation process. It is important to note that some capital projects are delayed due to a shift in community interests, contractual challenges due to protests which delay the implementation of certain projects and so on, and it is therefore necessary for each department to identify projects where funds can be diverted to projects of equal significance,” she said.
Mthethwa said statues and monuments all over the world are erected because of their unparalleled significance and they provide insight into each country or city’s history and heritage.
“The statues of Nelson Mandela and Oliver Tambo will ensure that the memory of these stalwarts lives on as there will be dissemination of information around these statues which will create dialogue around community and nation building. Research shows that 10 million visits to the United Kingdom in 2011 involved engagement in arts and culture. The aggregate turnover of businesses in the UK arts and culture industry in 2011 amounted to £12.4 billion. This is an example of the economic impact of arts and culture in just one country,” said Mthethwa.
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