Uproar over R207K car rentals for Limpopo mayor

The Mogalakwena municipality in Limpopo has spent more than R207,000 on mayoral car rentals over four months, despite the fact the municipality was rated as the second-worst council in South Africa in financial management.

The mayor’s official vehicle was written off after an accident last year.

This led to the municipality renting a Mercedes-Benz C-Class for R207,400 from July to November last year.

According to a statement by the DA in Limpopo, R98,389.92 and R109,010.50 were paid on 21 October and 28 November last year to Avis for the mayoral car.

Now the DA is spitting fire, saying the money spent on hiring the car was exorbitant.

“It has now become a known fact that mayor Andrina Matsemela likes the finer things in life,” said DA councillor Korney Dekker yesterday. “Spending so much on the mayoral car is proof that our mayor does not have the interests of the community at heart.

“The mayor opts to drive around in luxury, at a time our municipality is placed under administration. This money could have been best utilised to improve the livelihood of our people.”

Dekker said since torrential rains this year, roads in Mogalakwena resembled war zones in Afghanistan or Baghdad because of potholes.

He said women and children from far-flung rural villages still walked several kilometres to communal taps or fountains to fetch water.

Yesterday Matsemela shifted the blame equally to the council.

“Dekker is a member of the council. He was among the other councillors who took a decision to rent a car for me after the official mayoral car was involved in an accident,” she said.

“Plans to take a council resolution to buy a mayoral car could not succeed after council meetings failed to sit last year.

“The DA is barking up the wrong tree here. I am prepared to accept any vehicle with a price tag sanctioned by the council as long as it’s reliable, user-friendly and enables me to execute the day-today municipal duties,” she said.

– news@citizen.co.za

For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.