Revise government vehicle policy

Another ANC leader ripping off the taxpayer – and another of her comrades leaping in to defend her and say there is nothing wrong with her behaviour.

This time it’s North West MEC of Agriculture and Rural Development Desbo Mohono claiming more than R1 million in travel expenses for the year 2019/2020.

That’s around what an MP in the National Assembly earns a year.

Premier Job Mokgoro said in a written reply in the provincial legislature that Mohono had used her private vehicle – a high-performance Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 – for official duties.

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This, though, was despite the fact that she firstly offered another Jeep, a government-provided one which was, in reality, more suited to rough roads than her SRT8.

She also turned down a locally-assembled Ford Ranger Wildtrak 4×4 – also a highly capable vehicle – from the provincial administration.

This was another case of an ANC apparatchik choosing ego over service to the community and going for the road-burning and cash-squandering V8 speed machine.

This highlights the need for a thorough revision of rules about government vehicles.

Any such car is provided to assist a minister or MEC in working for the country’s citizens and not having a hedonistic blast at our expense.