PLUG PULLED ON R90m CONCERT

SANITY has finally prevailed in the ANC-led Ekurhuleni Metro council.

The ruling party has instructed the council to abort the multimillionrand World of Music, Arts and Dance (Womad) festival which was due to be held in April.

The festival, approved by the mayoral committee, was going to be held over three years at a cost of R90-million.

Following an outcry from the public and opposition parties, the mayoral committee is said to have been summoned to a meeting with the ANC regional executive com- mittee (REC).

ANC regional secretary Theliswa Mgweba confirmed that the party had met with councillors and expressed its objections about the festival. “We are totally opposed to this festival,” he said.

A senior municipal official who refused to be identified said the ANC decision has placed the council in an awkward position as certain agreements have already been reached with festival organisers.

“Council could be sued for breach of contract. There is talk on the corridors that council might have to go out and source funding from the private sector because the show must go on.”

Mayoral spokesman Zweli Dlamini denied the ANC had issued a directive that the festival should be cancelled.

“The Womad festival has actually been postponed because the municipality felt that logistically it would be a nightmare to have pulled it off in a matter of weeks as it would have taken place in April.”

“I must clarify however that the ANC had nothing to do with this concert and at no stage did the party influence the decision to postpone [it].

“The executive mayor and … mayoral committee were never summoned to the REC …”