LOUIS TRICHARDT – Council's proposed twelve-person delegation to China for the signing of a Twinning Agreement this month, was on Monday reduced to only seven delegates during a special Council meeting.

Monday's special meeting was called following Council's monthly meeting last week during which councillors voted in favour of sending all twelve delegates to China. The matter was put to the vote, after objections that the trip would cost too much. It was argued that the money earmarked for the trip could be better spent on upliftment and development projects.

According to initial information, the five day all expenses paid trip to China would have cost the taxpayer about R700 000. This number was later adjusted to just more than R500 000. Despite this, there were still people, even within Council's administrative department, who felt that the amount was unrealistic and recommended that the number of delegates should be reduced. Their recommendations were ignored.

Following last week's meeting, it is widely rumoured that Council was forced to rectify their decision after political intervention from the provincial government. This, it is said, explains why a special meeting was called for this week during which it was announced that only seven delegates would travel to China at an estimated cost of about R300 000.

Amidst concern over Council's "excessive" expenditure on trips such as the one to China, Council is at present preparing yet another all expenses paid trip for about forty councillors to Gwanda in Zimbabwe. The delegation is to leave for Zimbabwe at the end of this month to witness the inauguration of Gwanda's deputy mayor. Again there are serious questions being asked as to why so many councillors need to attend the inauguration at the expense of the taxpayer.