The ANC in KwaZulu-Natal has vowed to investigate claims made by business tycoon Anant Singh that his R7.5 billion film studio development is being ‘sabotaged’ by officials in the eThekwini Municipality.
Videovision Entertainment director and film producer Singh acquired the old Natal Command Defence Force building along Durban’s North Beach in 2022 to develop film and television studios, however, the project has not taken off.
Speaking at the ANC engagement meeting with businesses in Durban on Tuesday, Singh said the project has been stalled because the City has not yet installed water and electricity for the property.
Moreover, he said the City has revalued the property to be worth R1bn which Singh said was five times higher than the value when he bought it for R71 million in 2022. Singh said this meant he would need to pay more for rates yet the property was unusable because there is no water and electricity.
He said he has lodged an objection to the revaluation of building rates.
In a response to Singh from the City, the municipality said its Real Estate unit was still waiting to hear from the legal department about the objection to new rates.
Singh told the ANC leadership that after fighting for more than 20 years to acquire the property which he eventually got three years ago, he did not understand why eThekwini officials were sabotaging such a huge investment that would create job opportunities for the City.
He said he was forced to buy a generator because the City has refused to install electricity in the building, adding that the City recently demanded more than R400 000 just to install an electricity meter.
An emotional Singh said he has already lost two TV shows worth R200 million which had to be recorded in Johannesburg because his studios were not yet completed because of eThekwini’s inaction.
“I think I am being sabotaged by politicians and administrators of the City, however, I do not know for what reasons they do this to me. I want to appeal to your leadership. I know we have been talking and talking but can we walk the talk now,” said Singh.
In response, ANC provincial task team convener Jeff Radebe expressed his shock that Singh’s project had not taken off, promising that the ANC will launch an investigation to find out what was happening and would act against those responsible.
“We were appointed on February 25 and immediately committed ourselves to act against any wrongdoing as part of our campaign to renew and rebuild the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal,” said Radebe.
The eThekwini Municipality was approached for comment yesterday afternoon and requested time to respond.
The business community also raised the issue of corruption in ANC-run municipalities. In the province, the ANC highlighted the Msunduzi Municipality, which is geographically central and the capital city, along with the economic hubs of Durban and KwaDukuza as the backbone of the economy.
The ANC acknowledged concerns about these municipalities. Businesses reported seeing little in terms of accountability directed at these municipalities.
Palesa Phili, from the Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry NPC, raised concerns about corruption, stating that there has been little to no effort t hold errant officials accountable.
She said, “We have some corporations that are already saying they are here, they have invested, and they are already paying rates. How can we ensure we fix the infrastructure so that people in the south do not suffer when it comes to the issue of water and sanitation?”
Phili touched on the issue of corruption, noting: “There is one area that we really did not hear today (Tuesday), and that is the issues of corruption, consequence management, and accountability. None of those things are being done in any of the municipalities you mentioned, and we really would like to see that happening.”
Andrzej Kiepiela of the KwaZulu-Natal Growth Coalition said the level of corruption over the past 10 years has been mind-boggling, and businesses feel it is not fair as tenders are issued and applications made in good faith but con-tracts are given to established networks.
“If the commitment of the ANC were carried out, there should be marked improvement in the diminished trust,” he said.
Radebe stated that the ANC intends to act against officials who are not per-forming.
"Those who are deployed by the ANC, we will not hesitate to recall them through the mechanisms of monitoring performance and evaluation, as well as consequence management.”
The ANC’s Mike Mabuyakhulu stated, “We are committed to engaging and dealing with issues of corruption and consequence management when we prioritise the issue of local government.”