R200 000 paid for India trip cancelled because of critical vote

TAXPAYERS paid R200 000 for an aborted trip to India by Buffalo City Metro’s (BCM) deputy mayor Zoliswa Matana and councillor Sindiswa Gomba.

The money was blown on travelling and accommodation expenses for the journey to India that did not materialise.

Matana and Gomba were meant to represent the municipality at the South African Tourism Road Show to India which started on Monday and finished yesterday.

The Saturday Dispatch can reveal that neither Gomba nor Matana went to India.

Despite the municipality having approved the trip on December 23 2016, the two opted instead to focus on fighting factional battles in the ANC’s BCM caucus.

They both attended the BCM council meeting on Tuesday which saw some ANC councillors voting against their own party. Matana and Gomba were part of the rebel group.

According to BCM spokesman Sibusiso Cindi: “Matana says that she cancelled the trip to India because there was to be a council meeting during that time, and she needed to be present as attending council meetings is one of the top priorities of councillors”.

This newspaper is also in possession of bookings for the trip organised for Matana and Gomba by Aloe Travel agency.

The documents show a cost of R97 246 for Gomba’s flights and accommodation, and R83 502 for Matana.

In his recommendation on December 23 for the India trip to be given the nod, the then city manager Nceba Ncunyana wrote to executive mayor Xola Pakati stating the importance of the trip.

Pakati signed off his approval for Gomba and Matana to be the BCM delegates on the road show.

India is a member of the economic alliance between SA, Brazil, Russia, India and China (Brics bloc).

In his motivation, Ncunyana said India was among the top 10 tourism markets for SA.

He argued that having a delegation on the India road show would provide an “effective platform for the partners from India and South Africa to interact and cultivate business opportunities”.

Gomba, when called for comment yesterday, confirmed that she withdrew her availability for the trip on January 26 – two days before the scheduled departure date.

On January 25, the day before her withdrawal, Gomba attended a heated council meeting which centred around the replacement of Ncunyana as city manager.

The meeting had to be called off by speaker Alfred Mtsi, but Gomba was one of the councillors leading the charge against the adjournment saying it was tantamount to “wasteful expenditure”.

Asked if her abandonment of the India tour did not contradict her stance against wasteful expenditure, Gomba hung up the phone.

She also refused to reveal her reasons for the 11th-hour withdrawal saying: “They are personal”.

Pakati’s spokesman Ayabulela Ngoqo said both Gomba and Matana had informed the mayor of their withdrawal from the trip.

“They stated in letters sent to the mayor on January 26 that the trip coincided with an important council meeting on Tuesday that they could not afford to miss out on,” said Ngoqo. He said no one went in their place.

According to South African Tourism, which coordinated the trip for all team SA delegates, “tickets/hotels once confirmed are non-refundable”.

Furthermore, a registration fee of R6 500 with South African Tourism for the India trip was also non-refundable in the event of cancellation.

This fee was meant for the road show table cost, for lunch, dinner and a cocktail function in Mumbai.

Aloe Travel yesterday refused to confirm whether or not BCM had cancelled saying they would not discuss their business with “third parties”. — zingisam@dispatch.