Not long after boasting about their new and improved spending behaviour, Ilembe municipality has recommended that three new cars be bought for the mayor, deputy mayor and speaker.
This recommendation comes two months after the municipality announced that instead of buying new vehicles they would opt for second-hand cars for what was said to be an attempt to improve their financial situation.
DA Ward 22 councillor Malcolm Hubner said he did not think that new vehicles were necessary considering that the municipality’s budget was not viable.
“Currently, the municipality is using hired vehicles. However, council proposed that in the long term it would be less costly to buy a vehicle. The municipality’s budget is already strained yet they are spending recklessly.
“Service delivery should be the main priority and buying second-hand vehicles should be an option. Two Toyota Fortuners are to be bought and one Toyota Land Cruiser Prado will be bought for the mayor. The mayor’s vehicle has to be different from the other two and more expensive because you know, he is the mayor!”
The hiring option for all three vehicles over five years would cost the municipality R3 million while buying them would cost about R2 million. The municipality proposed that the money be sourced from a sale of a property in Glen Anil and the proceeds after the mayoral fleets are auctioned.
While provincial treasury has said Ilembe municipality’s 2016/2017 budget is not viable or credible, their budget is still being strained by yet more expenditure. On top of buying new cars and proposing to employ two new full-time executive councillors at the cost of 1.5 million a year, the municipality has also coughed up R50 000 as a contribution to funeral of traditional leader Chief Mathonsi.
Chief Mathonsi from the Mandeni municipality was shot on Monday, December 5. Ilembe has contributed R20 000 toward hiring four buses, R15 000 for hiring three EMS ambulances, R10 000 for hiring ten trestle tables and white cloths and R2 000 for 500 wrist bands for accreditation.
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