The FF Plus in Mbombela welcomes the procurement of 35 much-needed vehicles for official municipal use, but demands answers for why many service vehicles have been standing unused in parkades for years.
The Mbombela Local Municipality (Nelspruit, White River, Barberton, Hazyview, Kaapschehoop) procured 20 new bakkies and 15 sedans in December last year, but the FF Plus is in possession of evidence showing that many vehicles from the previous municipal fleet are standing in parkades and workshops in Hazyview and White River with flat tyres or expired licences.
According to the information in the FF Plus’s possession, many of the vehicles were sent to the service centres for routine maintenance. But they have been in disuse ever since.
According to the replies to written questions to the Executive Mayor, Ms Sibongile Makushe-Mazibuko, 14 of the new sedans were allocated to the municipal Traffic Department.
The other 21 vehicles were allocated as follows:
• 5 bakkies to the Department of Energy
• 4 bakkies to Water and Sanitation
• 3 bakkies to Roads and Storm Water
• 1 bakkie to Technical Traffic Services
• 1 bakkie to Parks and Cemeteries
• 1 bakkie to Sport, Arts and Culture
• 1 bakkie to the mechanical workshop in the south of the Municipality
• 1 bakkie to Human Settlements
• 3 bakkies to general law-enforcement
• 1 sedan for mayoral support
Although the new vehicles for improving the Municipality’s service delivery are certainly welcomed, one cannot help but wonder whether they will be optimally used or misused.
The only way to ensure that tax money is spent correctly is to vote the ANC out of power in Mpumalanga on 29 May. The people deserve better than the ANC.
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