The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) in the Buffalo City Metro in the Eastern Cape say they will table a motion at the Municipal Council to have an investigation instituted into the cost of the R87 million Buffalo City Metro Court Crescent.
This as the local Municipality is unveiling the crescent which EFF members refer to as a veranda stoep.
The 24 hectares Eastern Beach Front area project commenced in 2020, with an initial estimated cost of about R50 million and was later budgeted at more than R80 million.
The EFF members have begun a picket that is concurrent with the unveiling programme.
The EFF’s Mziyanda Hlekiso says the money set for the crescent went into the pockets of ANC members.
“As the EFF we are going to table a motion at the council meeting on the 7th of December that there must be a forensic investigation of this so that we can be able to know what happened to the money, taxpayers’ money. I can tell you now for free that it went to the pockets of individuals like your Oscar Mabuyane who has been pushing this thing from the onset.”
The Democratic Alliance (DA) has also sent out a statement saying it will table further questions regarding the costs surrounding this project.
Meanwhile, Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane says parties contesting the legitimacy of the costs of the crescent should consult the correct state institutions and not disrupt the unveiling meant to honour former boxer Leighandre “Baby Lee” Jegels who was murdered by her police officer boyfriend in 2019.
“All parties are in the council, when the council takes decisions, the EFF included is in the council. In this country we build a country that abides by the law. If there is someone who has a problem with the law or has something unclear, there are police in this country to investigate those problems, there is the Public Protector’s office, there is the SIU.”
