‘ALL PROCESSES WERE FOLLOWED’

THE Emalahleni local municipality in Mpumalanga, which plans to use R1.5-million rollover budget from developmental projects to buy a luxury car for its mayor, says all processes were followed.

Spokesman Lebo Mofokeng said mayor Lindiwe Ntshalintshali was currently using a Toyota Lexus with a mileage of 124 813km and the municipality had already paid R43 000 on an extended motorplan for it.

“... an option to lease was considered and found to be expensive due to executive mayor’s duties,” Mofokeng said.

“Council approved the replacement of the official vehicle of the executive mayor following supply chain process. [The R1.5-million] was rolled over from the previous year’s budget. These were savings realised from the completed projects,” Mofokeng said.

He said in preparation to purchase the vehicle, documents were submitted to council for consideration and approval. The matter was placed on the agenda on September 1, and municipal manager Theo van Vuuren recommended that the savings should be used to buy the car.

On Tuesday, Sowetan reported that the council had taken a decision to buy the car when the Lexus reached a mileage of 150 000km. The council said the car was expected to reach the 150 000km mileage by December.

According to a report from Ntshalintshali’s office which Sowetan has seen, a vehicle suitable for her has a “typical price range benchmark [of] between R1-million and R2-million”.

It further states that, based on national best practice or guidelines, “a vehicle to perform this function should comply with certain safety and terrain requirements, especially in areas with under-developed infrastructure”.

The DA has opposed the move, saying the money could have been used to deliver other services to residents. The party’s whip in the provincial legislature, Bosman Grobler, made a submission that Van Vuuren should be suspended over the matter.

SA Local Government Association provincial spokeswoman Nokwanda Ndashe said: “Municipalities are required by law to budget for the purchase of any municipal vehicles. For any purchase of a vehicle requires an approval of council and thereafter the supply chain process starts.

“There are no existing guidelines on what type of vehicle municipalities can purchase for mayors but the SAPS is of the view that certain security measures should be considered before any purchase.”