Johannesburg - The EFF in Limpopo has joined the fray in accusing the Limpopo Tourism Agency of allegedly having bankrolled the ANC’s golf day ahead of the party’s 110th birthday celebrations on January 8.
Azapo was the first to fire the salvo at the Limpopo Tourism Agency, in which they accused it of having hosted the event with full financial backing – an allegation that the agency has denied.
But now the EFF’s Limpopo chairperson Jossey Buthane has vowed to raise the matter at the provincial legislature, and request sanction against the agency.
“This theft is worse especially during the elections, where monies from departments and SOEs are used to fund political activities of the governing party.
“It is immoral and unacceptable and it is the highest form of corruption, fraud and insensitivity to the poor.
“This is daylight abuse of power to benefit the governing party.
“The stealing of taxpayers’ money in order to advance the political interests of a political party is shameful and cannot be tolerated, it must stop,” Buthane said.
He said it was “heartless to steal and misuse money that was meant to deliver services to the poor”.
“Instead of sponsoring service delivery, the Limpopo Tourism Agency decided to sponsor the political programmes of the ANC to advance its political course to the disadvantage of other political role-players,” Buthane said.
Earlier, the agency’s head of communications Mike Tauatsoala said they participated in the ANC events simply to market the annual Limpopo championship event.
“A partnership was entered into with Endaweni Media, who further had a partnership with Euphoria Golf and Lifestyle Estate to host the Pre-Season Golf Day event, exactly six-days before the official launch of the 2022 edition of the Limpopo Championship.
“This pre-season golf day coincided with the hosting of the January 8 golf day at the same venue that Limpopo Tourism Agency will utilise to host the annual Limpopo Championship,” he said.
Tauatsoala said the agency saw it as another rare opportunity not to be missed as part of the build-up to the launch, which would create marketing awareness for the upcoming Limpopo Championship that involves a Pro-Am.
Marketing is an opportunistic phenomenon in nature and to this end, the agency will not fold its arms on any form of tourism opportunity that presents itself like in the case of the major or mass event that came to the province recently.
“That is why the agency thanks the governing party for having decided to bring the event to the province. It came as a relief to the already bleeding tourism sector that is trying to recover (from Covid) and sustain jobs,” Tauatsoala said.
“The agency always leverages its marketing on major events; hence it has partnerships with the PSL clubs based in Limpopo because they attract multitudes to the province during their home games.
“This benefits the tourism industry that the agency is established to promote,” he said.
He further stated that “the agency will continue to support mass events brought to Limpopo by any organisation, as they help grow tourism.
“The mass event of celebrating the birth of the governing ANC could not have come at a better time, considering that the tourism sector was hit so hard by Covid-19 over the past two years.”
He said the tourism sector had boomed during the week of the build-up to the ANC celebrations, with most of the establishments in Polokwane and surrounding areas recording 100% occupancy.
“Accommodation spilt over from Polokwane to other neighbouring towns such as Mokopane, Mookgophong and Tzaneen. And it enhances Limpopo’s Tourism Recovery Plan,” Tauatsoala said
baldwin.ndaba@inl.co.za
Political Bureau