The large amount of money that the Mbombela Local Municipality (Barberton, Hazyview, Kaapschehoop, Mbombela/Nelspruit, Skukuza and White River) wants to spend on attending an AIDS conference overseas is a needless waste of tax money.
Last month during a special council meeting, the ANC caucus in the Municipality decided that the Municipality can afford to spend R250 000 on sending a Mayoral Committee member and a municipal official to Montreal, Canada, to attend a conference on AIDS.
The conference is scheduled to take place from 29 July to 2 August 2022.
The point on the agenda prompted a heavy debate during the council meeting.
The FF Plus is opposed to the expense. The conference can be attended virtually for a fraction of the cost.
Even if the council had registered the two designated individuals for virtual attendance after the deadline of 1 June, it would have cost less than R16 000 for both at the current exchange rate.
The FF Plus supports all attempts to combat HIV/AIDS, but is of the opinion that the money must rather be spent on raising awareness and improving treatment in the municipal area.
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