OR Tambo District Municipality mayor Nomakhosazana Meth has come under fire after carrying on with an extraordinary luxury car hiring spree which will cost taxpayers a million rand in a year.
In just four months, Meth’s rental bills, seen by the Daily Dispatch, came to R400 000.
Her vehicles of choice include a Mercedes-Benz ML, Land Rover Discovery, Mercedes-Benz C-Class, Jeep Cherokee and BMW.
Yesterday, Meth promised to get her spokesman Ayongezwa Lungisa to respond. He arrived five hours later on deadline and drafted a response at the Dispatch offices.
“The official car that the ex ecutive mayor has been using to execute her duties had to go for mechanical repairs owing to the continued mechanical breakdowns it experienced.
“A replacement vehicle has been procured and delivered on Wednesday March 25.
“The decision to procure a new vehicle was taken after noting that the mechanical problems sustained by the vehicle were putting her in danger and inconveniencing her in executing her duties.”
He added: “The executive mayor of OR Tambo is acutely aware of the plight of the people of OR Tambo and as such will never seek to live an extravagant lifestyle using taxpayers’ money.”
UDM’s Mncedisi Bunzana late last year tabled a motion to discuss the mayor’s hiring spree but that motion was rejected by the ANC-led council.
The matter was never discussed.
She has been doing the same thing over and over again. When we submitted a motion the ANC rejected it. They used their numbers to stifle the debate.
“It is such a pity that taxpayers’ money is being milked for the benefit of one individual.
“She does not have the interests of the municipality at heart. Her predecessor was removed by the ANC for doing the same thing she is doing now.
“But it seems as if she is being allowed to do what she likes,” said Bunzana.
The DA’s Chris Xhangayi said the ANC should be consistent in dealing with its deployees.
“Her predecessor was fired for doing the same thing, but she has not gone through the same processes.”
Some rentals include:
- October 1 to 14, Meth hired a Mercedes-Benz ML 250 and a Jeep Cherokee at a cost of R66522.75. The vehicles travelled 3881km.
- From October 15 to October 30 she hired a Jeep which travelled 2945km. The bill came to R57443.46.
- From October 30 to November 15 Meth hired a Jeep Cherokee and a Land Rover Discovery and they travelled 4288km costing R69393.33.
- From December 31 to January 17 she got another Discovery, spending R78524.15. The vehicle travelled 2735km.
- From January 9 to 11 a BMW was hired in Cape Town and travelled 163km for a cost of R9720.01. — abongilem@dispatch.co.za
Mayor’s R1m car spree
In just four months, Meth’s rental bills, seen by the Daily Dispatch, came to R400 000.
Her vehicles of choice include a Mercedes-Benz ML, Land Rover Discovery, Mercedes-Benz C-Class, Jeep Cherokee and BMW.
Yesterday, Meth promised to get her spokesman Ayongezwa Lungisa to respond. He arrived five hours later on deadline and drafted a response at the Dispatch offices.
“The official car that the ex ecutive mayor has been using to execute her duties had to go for mechanical repairs owing to the continued mechanical breakdowns it experienced.
“A replacement vehicle has been procured and delivered on Wednesday March 25.
“The decision to procure a new vehicle was taken after noting that the mechanical problems sustained by the vehicle were putting her in danger and inconveniencing her in executing her duties.”
He added: “The executive mayor of OR Tambo is acutely aware of the plight of the people of OR Tambo and as such will never seek to live an extravagant lifestyle using taxpayers’ money.”
UDM’s Mncedisi Bunzana late last year tabled a motion to discuss the mayor’s hiring spree but that motion was rejected by the ANC-led council.
The matter was never discussed.
She has been doing the same thing over and over again. When we submitted a motion the ANC rejected it. They used their numbers to stifle the debate.
“It is such a pity that taxpayers’ money is being milked for the benefit of one individual.
“She does not have the interests of the municipality at heart. Her predecessor was removed by the ANC for doing the same thing she is doing now.
“But it seems as if she is being allowed to do what she likes,” said Bunzana.
The DA’s Chris Xhangayi said the ANC should be consistent in dealing with its deployees.
“Her predecessor was fired for doing the same thing, but she has not gone through the same processes.”
Some rentals include:
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