MBOMBELA – In an effort to accelerate service delivery in and around the city, the Mbombela Local Municipality has purchased a fleet of vehicles and trucks worth over R20 million to help officials in its various departments.
According to the executive mayor, Cllr Sibusiso Mathonsi, when his office took over, they found there were insufficient working vehicles in the municipality causing poor service delivery, with some of the workers having to walk on foot to dangerous areas.
“We did not have enough to keep the municipality running, hence the decision to buy this fleet to assist employees do their work better and thus speed up service delivery to our people. This is just the beginning of greater things to come. We will upgrade and build proper facilities for our employees, including the facelift of their changing rooms so they can deliver the best,” he said.
The brand-new vehicles include 34 Ford bakkies of which the electrical department receives the highest number of nine bakkies and two trucks, followed by the water and sanitation department which received seven bakkies, a one-tonner bakkie and three half-tonner bakkies.
The department responsible for waste management received three tractors, three bakkies and three compactor trucks, while the municipality’s section responsible of dealing with roads infrastructure and storm water received four bakkies. The by-law enforcement unit also received four bakkies.
The municipality’s facilities management unit received two bakkies while parks and cemeteries got a cherry-picker and two trucks. All the drivers’ posts have been filled as well.