Ever watchful of the public purse, Terry Herbst has directed the letter you see below to Dr Chabula-Nxiweni, titled: “RATEPAYERS TO PAY FOR ‘CLEANSING CEREMONY’ TO STOP ROAD DEATHS?”
Dear Dr Chabula-Nxiweni
According to documentation in my possession, Metro ratepayers will be asked to foot a R 129 510.00 bill for a traditional “cleansing ceremony” suggested by sangomas to reduce accidents and deaths on the M17 road to Motherwell.
The budget for this event, which will be met from the Executive Mayor’s Discretionary Fund, includes R 42 500.00 for cows, sheep and goats to be slaughtered, and R 14 490 for gin, brandy and beer.
The M17, which is a Provincial road, was never officially opened after being completed in 1988. Since then, 69 people have died and 1,390 were injured on the road.
I am informed that sangomas told a meeting of ANC politicians and municipal officials that ancestors living under the Swartkops River were angry at the road carnage, and that a traditional cleansing ceremony would help to improve the situation.
While it goes without saying that South Africa’s many cultural beliefs must always be respected, Metro ratepayers should not have to pay for this jamboree, more especially at a time when the local authority is facing a cash crisis of such major proportions that Bhisho has offered to bail the Metro out financially.
An official document shows that the first phase of the ceremony – which is being driven by Public Health chairperson Councillor Noluthando Mapu – was held last week at a cost of R6,670. This included R2,000 for a video of the proceedings; brandy (R110); gin (R80); tobacco (R100); beads (R1,600); two knobkerries (R100); snuff, matches, candles, wood, traditional medicines, and vegetables.
Friday’s ceremony, it seems, is going to be on a much grander scale.
Two tents, each seating 500 people – who will be transported by bus at a cost of R4,000 – will be erected at a cost of R30,000; a PA system will cost R4,500; security will cost R12,000; and crockery will be hired for R2,000; and plastic containers for food will cost R4,000.
The total cost for the second phase of this unprecedented event has been budgeted at R 122 840.00.
The mind boggles that such expenditure of public money can be considered while the Metro struggles to make ends meet, particularly as there is no guarantee that the planned event will succeed in curbing deaths on our roads.
Even if the budget is taken from the Executive Mayor’s discretionary fund, it remains public money which cannot be abused and which must be fully accounted for.
One needs to seriously query the spending of more than R10,000 on liquor for an event of this nature, and why should ratepayers provide tobacco, snuff and matches for those in apparent contact with their ancestors?
I would suggest that the immediate cancellation of Friday’s ceremony would be in the best interests of all concerned, and that the money would be better spent eradicating the bucket system at Matthew’s Ground, which adjoins the M17.
I await your comments with considerable interest.
Yours in accountability and transparency
Terry Herbst.
Editors Notes: Just for one moment pick up your jaw from the floor and consider some of the other ‘essential’ purchases budgeted for:
- Horseshoe Tobacco – R200.00
- Imali Emhlophe (Coins) – R50.00
- 2 Slaughtered Chickens – R100.00
- 15 Live Chickens – R750.00
- Wild Olive – R300.00
- Kei Lily – R150.00
- Security – R12 000.00
- Spear (new) – R250.00
- St Johns Ambulance – R1 280.00
Okay now any fool knows that your local Spar has decent sized slaughtered chickens for R40.00 each (R20.00 saved is significant if you can do so multiple times). Just what is gonna be done with the live chickens is anyones guess but as a ‘cleansing ceremony’ one can only intimate that a little blood will be sprinkled. Hey, if it can be scientifically proven to save lives then I say; “Chop those damn heads off!”
Just why security is needed is also a little vague – R12 Grand at R400.00 per guard will buy you 30 security guards for the day. And I, for one, am not gonna be naughty when in the presence of sangomas – you never know!
I would imagine that a spear is quite a personal thing to any sangoma so why a new one needs to be bought ……
Aren’t sangomas supposed to be healers and medicine people? So, why then do we have to have St John’s ambulance standing by?
A glaring omission from the list of required items and manpower is the catering staff – no budget amount is itemised for paying staff to cook all this food. Or, is it really gonna be cooked?
The estimated amount of meat to be provided at Friday’s cleansing ceremony will be:
- Sheep – 10 x 30 kilograms of meat = 300 kilograms
- Cattle – 3 x 250 kilograms of meat = 750 kilograms
- Goats – 2 x 40 kilograms of meat = 80 kilograms
- Chicken – 17 kilograms
To get to the above estimated figures I have taken the average live weight of each of the animals (except the chicken) and reduced that by between 40 and 50% to arrive at a figure for the potential amount of meat available.
Therefore a total of 1197 kilograms of meat will be available for consumption by 1000 people. A rule of thumb when catering is that 250 grams of meat per person is a sufficient amount.
BUT, according to budgeted figures each of the 1 000 people expected at Friday’s ceremony will be eating in excess of 1 kilogram of meat EACH.
On Friday I will be the fatty with beef fat running down his chin at the feeding trough – please don’t talk to me as I will be manfully scoffing my KILOGRAM of meat!
Alan Straton
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Time for a rates revolt – let them put that idea in their pipe and smoke it! We really must be imbiciles for allowing this mumbo-jumbo.
Come to think of it, will they provide a money-back guarantee? If these charlatans in both religion and local government are so sure of themselves, lets see them foot the bill and claim it back AFTER a year – if accidents are reduced.
As I see it and based on the premise of ‘each to his own belief’ the solution is simple:
1. All belief structure representatives should take part – sangoma, rabbi, priest, dominee, reverend, charlatan etc.
2. In the interests of Ubuntu and nation building the adherents and congegants of each belief structure must cover the costs of the ceremony for each of their leaders and be invited to attend.
3. At a crucial part of the proceedings a collection plate will be handed around to collect funds for past victims families or fix potholes or put up warning signs.
4. Scones, brown bread and butter, Tea and Coffee is served.
Now wouldn’t THAT be more inclusive and open up more channels for dialogue between different groups?
The second phase of the ceremony was called off – we await to see what was done with the animals purchased along with the other food and booze.
Don’t hold your breath.