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‘ICC board member has conflict of interest’

Durban conference organisers want the eThekwini Municipality to remove businesswoman Zodwa Msimang as a board member of Durban’s International Convention Centre. Several conference organisers, who spoke to The Mercury on condition of anonymity because they did not want to lose out on city contracts, questioned how Msimang had landed the job when she also benefited from a number of city events tenders. Msimang is the managing director of Westville-based event-organising firm Ikhono Communications and her company has handled several major events, including Durban’s annual Small Business Fair. Most of Ikhono’s business comes from the government.

Msimang said on Sunday night she did not understand where the conflict of interest came in because she did not sit on any of the municipality’s tender boards. She also had international accreditation as a professional conference organiser, and if anyone had an issue with her appointment they could take it up with the municipality. A Durban-based conference organiser said there was a lot of unhappiness about Msimang’s appointment. “Her position and relationship with the city puts her in a different standing. Most major conferences go to the ICC so it’s a clear conflict of interest because she will know about them years in advance.”

Another said the concern was that Msimang would have “inside information” on people who wanted to book the ICC and her company could then secure the event management. Msimang and Sifiso Msomi were recently appointed by the municipality as board members for the ICC for three years. However, when opposition parties called for Msimang to be removed from her position during a full council meeting last month, city manager S’bu Sithole said Msimang possessed the required expertise and competency. He also said that for someone to do business with the municipality and serve on a city board were two different things.

But DA councillor Dean Macpherson said the city now had a situation where Msimang would be a player and a referee because she also benefited from lucrative events tenders from the city. “Other companies have a right to demand for her to be removed. Msimang received a R14.6 million tender from the eThekwini Municipality last year to run and manage the eThekwini Business Fair and African Renaissance events for the next three years which are both staged at the ICC,” he said.

Source: www.iol.co.za

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‘ICC board member has conflict of interest’

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