The spokesperson for the City of Mbombela (CoM), Joseph Ngala, said the fleet of abandoned municipal vehicles at the Hazyview and White River workshops are to be disposed of during an auction of as part of CoM’s obsolete assets.

The CoM’s FF Plus councillor, Ken Robertson, said they welcome the procurement of 35 much-needed vehicles for official municipal use, but demanded answers to why many service vehicles had been standing unused in a parking area for years.

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“We are aware that the CoM procured 20 new bakkies and 15 sedans in December, but the FF Plus is in possession of evidence showing that many vehicles from the previous municipal fleet are standing in workshops with only flat tyres or expired licences,” he said.

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Ngala said because the vehicles’ licences had not been renewed, they are going to auction them. However, he did not divulge the auction’s date or explain why these otherwise working vehicles (except for flat tyres and expired licences) have been abandoned and new vehicles acquired.

He also confirmed that the municipality had procured 35 new vehicles to enhance service delivery. Fourteen of the new sedans were allocated to the municipal traffic department.

The abandoned vehicles were formerly allocated to:
• 5 bakkies to the Department of Energy
• 4 bakkies to the Department of Water and Sanitation
• 3 bakkies to the department dealing with roads and storm water issues
• 1 bakkie to the technical arm of traffic services
• 1 bakkie to parks and cemeteries
• 1 bakkie to sport, arts and culture
• 1 bakkie to the mechanical workshop in the south of the municipality
• 1 bakkie to the Department of Human Settlements
• 3 bakkies to general law enforcement and
• 1 sedan for mayoral support.