Speaker’s car problems

Nqabisa’s alleged negligence led to engine failure

The Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality will have to spend more than R300,000 on repairs after the speaker allegedly damaged a state vehicle through negligence.

It is alleged that the council speaker, Noluthando Nqabisa, drove the VW Tiguan SUV without water in the engine.

A municipal insider told The Rep that the municipality should not be responsible for paying for the speaker's negligence, as it was her responsibility to ensure that the car was properly maintained.

“The engine was damaged through the speaker’s alleged carelessness, and the state will have to spend a significant amount of money to repair it. In the meantime, the mayor is using a Toyota Fortuna as a temporary replacement.”

He said Nqabisa’s car was being repaired at the industrial park, where other municipal vehicles were also being serviced.

This isn’t the first time the speaker has allegedly caused damage to a state vehicle. While serving as a councillor in 2014-2015, Nqabisa was accused of crashing a state vehicle while attending an ANC Youth League event.

The source said: “The car is at the municipality’s scrap yard at the traffic department, where the nonoperating vehicles are stored.”

The source said that there had been also talks in the municipality of the chief whip also getting a car.

EMLM councillor Mthuthuzeli Hokolo said the speaker needed to take the responsibility by paying for her damages and not the council.

“When you are given a state car it is your responsibility to check if there is water in the engine. It is not a factory fault,” Hokolo said.

According to Holoko, the speaker was not authorised to use the car, as it was purchased for the mayor’s use. He also claims that the speaker already had her own car, and that by using the mayor’s car, she was violating the regulations.

He said former EMLM councillor Aron Mhlontlo had raised a motion against the speaker for crashing a municipal state vehicle while attending an ANC Youth League event, which was ignored.

According to him, the issue of the chief whip having a state vehicle was a national debate.

“We recently had a meeting with Cogta where the chief whip was told that she would not be bought a car.

“She also agreed that in Johannesburg they were told that she was not going to be bought a car, in meeting they attended.”

Despite the delivery of two bakkies in recent years, the public is still waiting for information about the delivery of a third vehicle.

Hokolo said that the council did not receive any reports about whether or not the third vehicle was eventually delivered.

EMLM spokesperson Lonwabo Kowa responding to The Rep’s questions said he can confirm that a municipal vehicle, which was being used by the speaker, had encountered a mechanical fault and was out of service.

“The speaker promptly reported the issue, and there was no indication of negligence, as any vehicle can experience engine failure. Internal procedures are currently in progress to address and resolve the problem.

“The vehicle was involved in an accident, resulting in the creation of a comprehensive accident report.

“The first three vehicles were promptly delivered, while the fourth one was received approximately a month later,” he said.