MBOMBELA – How many cars did Mpumalanga’s first citizen buy with taxpayers’ money during his first term in office? The answer depends on who you ask, and when you ask them. The reasons for the purchases have remained consistent, but the number of vehicles has not.
The issue over Mr David Mabuza’s wheels first came up in January, and the Office of the Premier officially stated what cars he had bought since first taking office in 20o9.
A Lexus 460 was bought for the premier’s use in April 2011, also to replace a vehicle with apparently too many kilometres. A Range Rover Sport replaced the Lexus in October 2011 over the former’s alleged mechanical problems and an Audi A8, for which R1,1 million was forked out last May, replaced the premier’s Range Rover.
These was also a BMW X5 bought in October 2012 as backup vehicle for his bodyguards. On January 10 his office’s spokesman Mr Zibonele Mncwango said, “Mabuza bought no vehicle in the first two years of his term. In actual fact, he used the car that was being utilised by the former premier until it started giving problems.”
But now, according to written answers from the Office of the Premier in reply to written questions by the DA, a BMW X5, bought for his bodyguards’ use in March 2010, has been added to the list. This puts the vehicle’s date of purchase at less than a year after Mabuza assumed office.
The Department of Public Works, Roads and Transport supplied different facts. According to its written answers, the Office of the Premier also purchased a Range Rover 3.7 in September 2013. The stated price of the vehicle is R1,4 million.
According to Mr Anthony Benadie, DA member of the provincial legislature, this amounts to slightly more than 70 per cent of Mabuza’s salary on April 1, 2013 of R1,9 million and is more than Mabuza’s office is allowed to spend on a vehicle for him, according to the ministerial handbook.
“It has come to light that the premier is conveniently failing to mention the purchase of a sixth vehicle. “This creates the impression that the premier himself feels he needs to hide his penchant for purchasing expensive luxury cars.”
He said, “The failure of the spokesman to mention the purchase of the Range Rover a year ago, once again points to their determination to mislead residents. While community after community faces poor service delivery, often as a result of ‘budgetary constraints’, it is clear that these constraints don’t apply to the premier.”
In total the vehicles cost R6, 2million. Mncwango made no comment on the discrepancies.
