Balfour: I paid for this car

2008-08-27 21:16

Cape Town - Correctional Services Minister Ngconde Balfour has dismissed suggestions he failed to disclose to Parliament a car received as a "gift".

Balfour's office said in a statement on Wednesday he had learned with concern of a complaint "tabled to Parliament" alleging he had received a black Volkswagen Touareg as a gift.

However, the facts were that Balfour bought the vehicle in 2006 as his personal car, the department said.

He had it fully financed and had personally been paying all the instalments to date.

"The car was financed through Kgwerano Asset Finance, which is a joint venture with Wesbank, which was awarded a tender by the Department of Transport in September 2004 to provide full maintenance operating lease vehicles to public office bearers, including ministers, premiers, speakers of legislatures, and MECs.

"Like any other sale, no additional discounts were provided to the minister other than those provided to [the] public, and the Auditor-General has got a letter to that effect."

Balfour would table in Parliament this week all the necessary documentation relating to the purchase of this vehicle as proof "of a clean deal he entered into wherein he did not receive favours whatsoever", the statement said.

Balfour said he would not hesitate to "take head-on anybody who creates baseless stories like this with no facts whatsoever trying to achieve his/her motives".

He vowed that those behind these allegations "will face him in court".

"I, Ngconde Balfour, a strong believer in clean governance, will never embarrass or humiliate my dead parents, my siblings and my children in whatever action," he said.

- SAPA