Speedometer of a car close-up, with the arrow frozen at a speed of 120 km/h. Details and interior of a black luxury car.
Political parties and experts have criticised the financially struggling eMalahleni local municipality’s plan to increase the vehicle purchase threshold for political office bearers from R700 000 to R1.5 million.
This was revealed recently by municipal manager Sizwe Mayisela during a council meeting, where he said he planned to submit a recommendation to increase vehicle purchase prices to R1.5 million.
Themba Godi, leader of the African People’s Convention (APC) and a former parliamentary standing committee on public accounts chair, said the APC was appalled at the extravagance.
Parties criticise eMalahleni’s plan to raise vehicle budgets
He said this was not in the interest of the people, but in the interest of people who were already earning a salary.
“It clearly shows that the focus and the priority of the municipality is not to bring service to the people, but to loot and steal as much as possible before the local government elections.
“What is the point of increasing the threshold a few months before elections? Why not leave that to the incoming council?” Godi said.
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He said there was no need for the municipality to take such an action while several areas were struggling with electricity, water, roads and other services.
He said the money should be channelled into improving service delivery rather than buying expensive vehicles.
He urged the provincial government to intervene and block the planned “unnecessary” move.
DA opposed proposed increment
DA councillor Maureen Scheepers said the party opposed the proposed increment.
“This announcement came as a shock to the council, as the recommendation neither appeared on the agenda, nor was there an addendum or special council sitting convened to allow proper deliberation on a matter with such serious financial implications.
“As a result, the DA argued that the threshold limit for vehicle purchases relating to official use by political office bearers must not exceed R700 000 per vehicle, as defined in the Municipal Cost Containment Regulations of 2019.”
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Scheepers said the DA would not support such a recommendation on the basis that the municipality continuously defaults on the payment of creditors, was under a financial recovery plan and struggling to meet it basic service delivery obligations.
Political analyst Goodenough Mashego said the proposal does not make sense, especially for a municipality like Emalahleni, because purchasing cars does not improve service delivery.
Prof Theo Neethling from the University of the Free State condemned the move, saying it highlights a disconnect between some political elites and the lived realities of the communities they govern and are supposed to serve.
Disconnect between political elites and communities
He said it contradicts the constitutional vision of developmental local government.
“It erodes public trust and it signals that austerity applies to citizens rather than the leaders, the office bearers,” he said.
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