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Mayor Mihloti Muhlope.

DA outraged over mayor’s new expensive vehicle

 

The local DA (Democratic Alliance) is furious over the fact that Musina’s first citizen will soon be receiving a brand new Mercedes Benz, despite service delivery backlogs within her district.

According to a statement released by the DA earlier this week, Mayor Mihloti Muhlope is awaiting delivery of her Mercedes SUV ML 350, which was acquired by the council at an amount of R1.1 million. Outraged, the DA has written to the Limpopo MEC for Cooperative Governance, Makoma Makhurupetje, to probe the matter.

According to the DA councillor in Musina, Mr Elliot Magwira, they challenged the decision during a council sitting on 25 January. “The ANC arrogantly used its majority and voted in favour of buying a luxury Mercedes for the mayor, rather than committing money to service delivery,” Magwira said.

The new vehicle is to be delivered soon, but, says Magwira, they hope that the MEC’s investigation will stop the transaction completely, so that the money might be spent on improving the lives of Musina’s residents.

“The ANC government continues to put ANC cadres' self-interest and luxury first, before the interests of the residents of Musina,” said Magwira. “The money could have been spent on finishing the sports centre in Musina extension 6 in Harper, solving the sanitation crisis in the urban area where water is flowing on the ground whilst all roads that lead to town are damaged with potholes,” Magwira added.

The communications manager of Musina Municipality, Mr Wilson Dzebu, acknowledged that the municipality was in the process of procuring an official vehicle for the mayor’s office. He added, however, that the vehicle did not belong to an individual and that it fell within the fleet of the municipality. He added that they were at present renting a car for the office of the mayor at a higher cost, “because the old mayoral car has reached its lifespan and it is not economically viable to repair. As compared to renting, buying becomes a cheaper option in the long run.”

Dzebu stated that the due procurement procedures were followed when purchasing the vehicle as it had been budgeted for.

 He said that “some of the people who are now objecting through the media” have a seat in the finance portfolio committee and they were part of the decision to buy the vehicle. “They did not object when the decision was discussed in the executive committee. Council, as the highest decision-making body, approved the purchase as it went through all the committees and procurement procedures.”

He emphasised that buying a reliable vehicle for the mayor’s office is part of service delivery as the office will be able to execute its duties with ease.

 

 

 

Date:04 February 2017

By: Isabel Venter

Isabel joined the Zoutpansberger and Limpopo Mirror in 2009 as a reporter. She holds a BA Degree in Communication Sciences from the University of South Africa. Her beat is mainly crime and court reporting.

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