10 Oct 2011
Jacques Pauw
MORE than R6 million in taxpayers' money was spent to charter a jet to
fly 262 members of the Cuban Young Communist League and their
interpreters to South Africa for the National Youth Development Agency's
(NYDA) abortive festival last December.
Details of the spending are contained in document obtained by Media24
Investigations that show that the NYDA dished out lucrative contracts to
politically-connected businessmen and squandered millions of rands on
their disastrous World Festival of Youth and Students, which cost R106
million in lottery and public funds.
Shocking details of the NYDA's excesses have been revealed for the first
time in hundreds of pages of documents obtained after a 10-month legal
battle using the access to information law.
One of the country's foremost forensic scientists, Andre Prakke, says it
is clear that proper bookkeeping procedure was not followed and that it
is probable that large-scale theft and fraud were committed.
Prakke, who studied the documents on behalf of Media24 Investigations,
said proper tender procedures were not followed. For example, few of the
contractors submitted tax clearance certificates, which is obligatory.
The festival led to fierce criticism against the NYDA which is being
investigated by the Public Protector.
Among the documents obtained is an agreement signed in November last
year between NYDA CEO Steven Ngubeni and Cubana, Cuban's national airline.
The NYDA paid R5,6 million to hire a 260-seater Ilyushin aircraft to fly
members of that country's Young Communist League to and from South Africa.
The NYDA signed a further contract whereby 42 Cuban interpreters
accompanied the Young Communists to South Africa at an additional cost
of R440 000. Renting of interpreting equipment for the festival ran into
several millions of rands.
During the festival, the Cubans backed the denouncement of air strikes
in Libya by "imperialists", supported nationalisation in Zimbabwe and
threw their weight behind the SA Students Congress calls for immediate
land redistribution.
Several senior NYDA officials also hold positions within the ANC Youth
League. Just three weeks ago, one of the NYDA's directors admitted that
the agency is nothing but an "ANC Youth League-dominated gravy train".
The opening and closing ceremonies at the festival cost R9 million and
were awarded to businessman Julius Mekwa, who recently provided free
facilities for Julius Malema's supporters during his disciplinary
hearing in Johannesburg.
A company belonging to a Springs policeman got a catering contract of
more than R20 million — some R6,5 million paid in advance.
The documents also show that several million rands was spent on flags,
banners, "military-style" caps, rain ponchos, balloons, confetti and
"cheerleaders/models".
The festival goers consumed more than a million rands of Valpré mineral
water, delivered to the NYDA at inflated prices.
Another company, which has a prominent ANC Youth League lawyer as
non-executive chairman, was paid R300 000 to provide "Central and West
African food" — and a R90 000 headstone.
Ngubeni admitted that "proper procedures" were not followed in all
cases, but nevertheless defended the way the money was spent.
Ngubeni said the NYDA had no choice but to bring the Cubans to SA. He
said: "Cuba has been one of the biggest and strongest supporters of the
World Festival. It is a condition of the World Federation of Democratic
Youth that all host countries should transport and accommodate the Cubans."
He said there were 227 Cuban delegates and 40 interpreters and
chartering a plane was the most economical way of getting them to SA.
The cost for the festival rose from R72 million to the final, audited
figure of R106 million. Delegates played kissing games in the sun as
they waited for something to happen.
Last week the NYDA said it had received a "clean audit" from the
auditor-general for the festival's and its own operational spending and
Ngubeni said the organisation hoped to lay the controversy over the
festival "to rest". However, the auditor-general noted at least R26
million of irregular expenditure relating to the festival and
highlighted other problems such a lack of normal tender procedures.
http://www.witness.co.za/index.php?showcontent&global%5B_id%5D=69802
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