Luxury mayoral cars lie unused ‘in poor state’.
OR TAMBO mayor Nomakhosazana Meth has refused to return a brand new SUV bought for the speaker’s office and is still using it, even though she was sworn in as mayor in October.
This is despite the fact the mayor’s office already has an Audi Q7, a Mercedes-Benz ML 350, a double cab and a Mercedes-Benz E350 sedan.
The Q7 and double cab were bought in December last year for the mayor’s office to the tune of R1.1-million.
The vehicles were previously used by former mayor Dingaan Myolwa, who earlier this year got into hot water after it turned out that his office spent thousands of rands hiring luxury vehicles for him for months.
At the time Myolwa’s aides defended the hiring spree, saying the mayoral vehicles owned by the municipality were in a poor condition.
The Mercedes-Benz ML that Meth is using was bought earlier this year for the speaker’s office after a council resolution.
The Daily Dispatch visited the municipality’s offices in Myezo yesterday where some of the vehicles are parked.
Among the cars stored at the premises is a Mercedes E350, which is damaged in the front and has grass growing around it. A Mercedes-Benz ML 350 is also sitting idly collecting dust.
Speaking to the Dispatch about the car swap, Meth said: “We agreed that he should use the and because I have a lot of responsibility in and out of the district should use the new vehicle . “This was a mutual agreement between the speaker and I . . . When we buy a new vehicle it will be used by the speaker. There is nothing sinister about this.”
Council speaker Robert Nogumla said he was using the Q7 until the council bought a new vehicle for his office.
“On the day we were sworn in the mayoral vehicles had not been returned by the previous mayor. I said to she should take the ML and I will use my personal vehicle until we make a plan. For a while I have been using my own vehicle but I am now using the Q7 until the finance department purchases another vehicle for the speaker’s office,” said Nogumla.
“The mayor has to do a lot of work in the district. She needs to have a reliable car.”
He said the other mayoral vehicles were not in good shape and could not be used by Meth.
But COPE’s Mandla Gogo said what Meth and Nogumla did was illegal.
“If there is a council resolution saying the mayor must use a certain vehicle, that decision stands. One cannot make their own arrangement and swap cars. That is illegal and should be condemned in the strongest terms,” he said.
The DA’s Thembalihle Xhangayi said Meth should have stopped using the speaker’s vehicle when she was sworn in as mayor.
“The car . . . should be used by the individual elected as speaker.” —
O R Tambo mayor still using speaker’s vehicle
OR TAMBO mayor Nomakhosazana Meth has refused to return a brand new SUV bought for the speaker’s office and is still using it, even though she was sworn in as mayor in October.
This is despite the fact the mayor’s office already has an Audi Q7, a Mercedes-Benz ML 350, a double cab and a Mercedes-Benz E350 sedan.
The Q7 and double cab were bought in December last year for the mayor’s office to the tune of R1.1-million.
The vehicles were previously used by former mayor Dingaan Myolwa, who earlier this year got into hot water after it turned out that his office spent thousands of rands hiring luxury vehicles for him for months.
At the time Myolwa’s aides defended the hiring spree, saying the mayoral vehicles owned by the municipality were in a poor condition.
The Mercedes-Benz ML that Meth is using was bought earlier this year for the speaker’s office after a council resolution.
The Daily Dispatch visited the municipality’s offices in Myezo yesterday where some of the vehicles are parked.
Among the cars stored at the premises is a Mercedes E350, which is damaged in the front and has grass growing around it. A Mercedes-Benz ML 350 is also sitting idly collecting dust.
Speaking to the Dispatch about the car swap, Meth said: “We agreed that he should use the and because I have a lot of responsibility in and out of the district should use the new vehicle . “This was a mutual agreement between the speaker and I . . . When we buy a new vehicle it will be used by the speaker. There is nothing sinister about this.”
Council speaker Robert Nogumla said he was using the Q7 until the council bought a new vehicle for his office.
“On the day we were sworn in the mayoral vehicles had not been returned by the previous mayor. I said to she should take the ML and I will use my personal vehicle until we make a plan. For a while I have been using my own vehicle but I am now using the Q7 until the finance department purchases another vehicle for the speaker’s office,” said Nogumla.
“The mayor has to do a lot of work in the district. She needs to have a reliable car.”
He said the other mayoral vehicles were not in good shape and could not be used by Meth.
But COPE’s Mandla Gogo said what Meth and Nogumla did was illegal.
“If there is a council resolution saying the mayor must use a certain vehicle, that decision stands. One cannot make their own arrangement and swap cars. That is illegal and should be condemned in the strongest terms,” he said.
The DA’s Thembalihle Xhangayi said Meth should have stopped using the speaker’s vehicle when she was sworn in as mayor.
“The car . . . should be used by the individual elected as speaker.” —
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