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Mayor's Audi sinks municipality
14/08/2007 23:16 - (SA)
Reginald Khumalo
Pietermaritzburg - The bankrupt Nquthu Municipality bought an R800 000 Audi Q7 for its mayor - and then had to return it with less than 1 000km on the clock because it couldn't pay for it.
Now the municipality wants to sell its entire fleet of municipal vehicles - including a new grader - its only refuse truck and other maintenance machinery to replenish its coffers. All these vehicles were advertised for auction in newspapers last week, but the auction has hurriedly been suspended because the municipality failed to consult residents on the matter.
Sources said the auction was suspended on Tuesday after intervention at ministerial level, when the municipality was advised that its action might be illegal.
"We would like to see how this municipality will execute simple functions like refuse removal after selling all vehicles, including the town's only refuse truck," said uMzinyathi regional ANC chairperson, Philani Mavundla.
Sparked by need to buy new vehicle
He said it was true that the vehicles listed in the tender advert comprised the Nquthu municipality's entire fleet and explained that the whole saga was sparked by the need to purchase a new vehicle for the mayor.
"As the ANC, we are not opposed to the purchase of a new vehicle for the mayor.
"There was a council meeting and our councillors in that municipality agreed that the mayor's vehicle, a Toyota Corolla, was old and needed replacing.
"Our councillors also had no objection to a resolution allowing for the purchase of a vehicle of between R200 000 and R500 000.
"But when the time came to buy the vehicle, the municipality went and bought a vehicle worth over R800 000," said Mavundla.
Nquthu municipality speaker Amos Mtshali suggested there was nothing wrong with the sale.
"The vehicles we're selling are old and constantly need repairing, which makes it very expensive for the municipality."
When asked if the mayor's new SUV is also seen as old, Mtshali said it shouldn't have been on the list of cars to be auctioned.
He denied claims that the municipality had no money.
"I haven't heard of this. There is also no link between this 'allegation' and the auction," he said.
- The Witness
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