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News that the eThekwini Commonwealth Games bid has collapsed means that millions of rands wasted on the bid have been lost to our poorest communities.

This is a devastating blow to our city, and our people, who can only stand by and watch as millions of rands that could have improved our communities, delivered houses, improved services and created jobs have been wasted by the ANC government. We could not afford the Commonwealth Games from the start, but now good money has been thrown after a bad idea.

Reports this afternoon that as much as R118 million have been wasted to date should anger every citizen of eThekwini, as we know how desperately that money is needed in our City.

The DA has consistently warned of and stood against the waste of millions on this bid, but the ANC government proceeded to bite off more than they could chew.

This is a potent stain on the work of Minister Fikile Mbalula, and the ANC Mayors of EThekwini who have supported the bid. We must not forget that the ANC pushed this plan through.

I will now demand a full-scale investigation by the Municipal Public Accounts Committee (MPAC) into the total cost wasted by the City of eThekwini through its involvement in the Commonwealth Games bid. The DA expects the MPAC to seriously scrutinise every aspect of this spending as so many millions have gone to waste.

The City of EThekwini has a record of wasting millions on superfluous events, like the Essence Festival, which cost the City millions of rands and yielded absolutely no results.

The people of eThekwini deserve better than the job-killing financial recklessness of the uncaring ANC government.

Issued by DA