R200 000 for Bitou mayor’s security
A storm has erupted over Bitou mayor Peter Lobese’s spending habits after it came to light that ratepayers are forking out what is believed to be just short of R200 000 every month for his security detail.
According to reports, however, security assessments have revealed that Lobese’s life is not under threat.
This comes in the wake of another spending saga relating to the forking out of about R60 000 on a luxury SUV for the mayor every month.
Knysna-Plett Herald has reliably learned that R106 020 is being spent every month on armed response officers for Lobese’s protection.
It is also believed that a further R52 000 is being spent on bodyguards for the mayor and R35 000 each month on a driver.
The mayor’s office failed to answer questions about this spending before going to print. Lobese’s spokesperson Dumisani Mweba, however, confirmed receipt of the questions. “Kindly be advised that such have been forwarded to the municipal manager (Thabo Ndlovu) for his attention.
“I have urged the office of the municipal manager to respond as quickly as possible. As soon as I receive a documented response, I will respond,” Mweba said.
In the meantime, the security costs have caused a stir among opposition party members.
Former deputy mayor Euan Wildeman said it has come to the ANC caucus in council’s attention that there was “exorbitant amounts” of ratepayers’ money being spent on “so-called security” for the mayor.
“We have at the previous council meeting submitted motions questioning this wastage of municipal funds for private use,” Wildeman said.
He added that they are aware that two security assessments were done over the past year and both times it was found that there was no threat on Lobese’s life.
ANC subregional coordinator Putco Mapitiza further said in a statement that Lobese was “living an exorbitant lifestyle at the expense of ratepayers”.
“Since his election in August 2016, Lobese reported that his life was threatened. The bush area next to his house was cleared as precautionary security measure and close protection team was beefed up with two cars escorting him,” Mapitiza said.
They established that Lobese was enjoying “undue benefits” of 24-hour armed guards stationed at his property, he added, despite reports by police that his life was not under threat.
“The ANC wants to state it categorically that the DA and their coalition partners are on an unparalleled spending spree. We will in due course expose more unlawful and wasteful expenditure. We are daily inundated with more information from various officials,” Wildeman added.
Lobese’s party, the Active United Front (AUF), is currently in a coalition with the DA following last year’s elections, which revealed that Bitou was a hung council. The DA and the ANC received six seats in council each with the AUF securing one.
The AUF first formed a coalition with the ANC, but this relationship deteriorated which led to its termination. The AUF and the DA subsequently formed a coalition.
Mapitiza said the ANC calls upon Western Cape MEC for local government, environmental affairs and development planning Anton Bredell to intervene by investigating the spending. “Bitou municipality cannot afford impediment on good governance,” Mapitiza said.