Children in DA wards snubbed, say councillors

A TOY drive in Buffalo City has caused an outcry after children from DA wards were snubbed by city officials.

This has sparked outrage from DA councillors and DA-led communities in the BCM area.

The councillors are fuming after they were asked to select 140 children from each ward to receive Christmas gifts – but after having done so had to return to their wards empty-handed. They claim demands for answers from mayor Zukiswa Ncitha yielded no positive response.

However, Ncitha poured cold water on the allegations. She said the DA councillors arrived at the toy assembly points with lists instead of actual children who were supposed to benefit.

“The Motsepe Foundation policy doesn’t operate like that.

“They want to give the toys directly to the children, not to councillors.

“This is a Motsepe Foundation project and they have their [own] policy. We cannot change that.”

DA Buffalo City caucus spokesman Lance Weyer said although the office of the mayor had promised to cater for children in all the wards, only DA-led wards were left out.

“DA councillors Isabel Thompson, Dinesh Vallabh and Patricia Williams attended the handover event to collect their 140 parcels per ward.

“The DA councillors were then told there were no toys for them and arrangements would be made for the toys to be delivered to their wards at specific venues,” Weyer said.

The Motsepe Foundation’s Buffalo City region chairman Mpumelelo Qwabaza said the foundation would be dismayed if the allegations were true.

He said the foundation would follow up on the allegations.

The foundation this year donated toys to 17 000 Eastern Cape children in Mthatha, Port Elizabeth and Buffalo City.

‘ This is a Motsepe Foundation project and they have their policy