Please point out missing plaques
I’D LIKE to comment on the lead story in your Herald section recently and Dennis Pather’s column on the monument to the arrival of indentured Indians, which seems to have been shelved and the funds allegedly looted.
It is a clear case of abuse of a private tender process or even blatant theft. Nabeelah Shaikh reported the province awarded
R10 million for the monument in 2010, and of that, R4.8m was left.
She added: “R5.2 million was spent on plaques throughout the province.” She doesn’t say where any of these fictitious and rather exorbitantly priced plaques are.
An avid reader and follower of the news, I have never heard of one. And it is obvious from his column Pather has also seen none.
It is seven years since the money was made available and the city spokesperson said the process took four to five months.
Seelan Achary of the 1860 Organising Committee and
1860 Legacy chairman Ashwin Trikamjee must answer for the excesses and tell us where the so-called plaques are. These are public funds and both have a fiduciary duty attached to their positions of leadership.
They can’t just turn around and say they are frustrated that the ethekwini Municipality has the rest of the funds. This is a case for the public protector as there has been obfuscation of the records of the allegedly missing R5.2m.
The organisers could have held a competition to find the best concept and made the entire process public.
I wish Shameen Rajbansi, also quoted in the article, would do something worthwhile in her waning political career and ask the provincial and municipal auditor and ombud to investigate.
Or maybe the DA will launch an investigation. It is long overdue.
Shaikh or Pather should ask Achary and Trikamjee to point out the plaques that cost so much.we have a right to know.
ADRIAN SUBRAMANIAN
Windermere