Msimanga has set a benchmark for the ANC
THE ANC sells itself as a party for the poor, but recent incidents seem to suggest otherwise.
Tshwane mayor Solly Msimanga has diverted 10 bling BMWs to the city’s anti-hijacking unit. He further said he expected municipal officials to use modest cars.
In the midst of that, the Emalahleni municipality was desperately trying to justify splurging R1.5million to buy a bling car for its mayor. Emalahleni is controlled by the ANC.
The outcry that followed caused the municipality to change tune. But the damage was already done. The message was that the DA is more sensitive to the poor than the ANC.
If Msimanga wanted to embarrass the ANC, it certainly worked. There’s no doubt that Msimanga’s decision made a lot of sense. Hijackers themselves use powerful cars as getaway cars. Those BMWs will come in handy for officials who have to chase after these scumbags. The ANC has been warned about so-called comrades who flaunt their wealth in a sea of poverty. It has also been warned about politicians who waste money like it’s getting out of fashion. Msimanga’s gesture could have far reaching consequences for ANC. Msimanga inadvertently set a benchmark for ANC. He may have lowered ANC lofty standards, but that’s how the ANC will be judged from now on. In the long run, these are decisions that will benefit South Africans. The ANC will have to think twice before going on an unjustified spending spree. From now on, the ANC will be forced to justify and explain wasteful expenditure in areas it controls. There’s no doubt that the ANC was becoming too big for its own boots before the recent local government elections. Richardson Mzaidume Pimville