Lindiwe is not taking a new car. The Executive Mayor of Emalahleni Cllr Lindwiwe Ntshalintshali decided to, in light of the current Eskom cut-offs, not to buy a new set of wheels.
The local municipality has recently advertised a tender for the supply and delivery of the luxury vehicle for the mayor despite growing pressure from the community to stop the purchase and focus on improving the municipality’s failing infrastructure.
Residents were furious when at the first council meeting, shortly after she was appointed as mayor; Cllr Ntshalintshali had her new set of wheels on the agenda.
According to the opposition party, the municipality is likely to face its sixth consecutive disclaimer audit opinion from the Auditor-General after making a net loss of R392 million in 2016, up from R226 million in 2015.
The municipality’s latest financial statements show that electricity distribution losses have increased from 37.24% in 2015 to 41.17% in 2016. This amounts to over R497-million worth of electricity lost in the last two years.
