Crash: metro resources abused

THE United Front is of the view that the accident that involved the security guard of member of the mayoral committee Nqaba Bhanga and which left two passengers dead involved a flagrant abuse of municipal resources.

If the report in The Herald of October 27 is true (“Bhanga’s driver in crash riddle”), that Bhanga instructed the security guard to use the municipal vehicle to fetch his girlfriend at the Nelson Mandela University campus, Bhanga’s behaviour is against Chapter 12 of Local Government: Municipal Systems Act 32 of 2000 and Schedule 1, Section 6 of the code of conduct for councillors.

This stipulates that councillors are prohibited from using their positions for personal gain or to improperly benefit another person.

The use of a municipal vehicle and the municipal security guard in this specific case, on the instruction of Bhanga, is a clear violation of the code of conduct for councillors.

This flies in the face of DA claims of an anti-corruption stance and clean governance it promised the voters of the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality.

The worst part in the case is the fact that two innocent lives were lost and the bodyguard is fighting for his life in hospital.

The surprising aspect of this tragic accident is the perfunctory manner in which both the administrators and the politicians from the DA-led coalition were noncommittal in commenting on the matter.

The UF is of the view that it is impossible that an accident of this magnitude can happen without the mayor being informed of it, seeing that it was linked to one of his senior officials in the party and in the mayoral committee.

The municipality must promptly investigate this unfortunate accident and simultaneously the law should take its course.

Lastly, our hearts and condolences go to the families of the victims who have lost their lives through this tragic accident.

Councillor Mkhuseli Mtsila (UF), Zwide, Port Elizabeth