Hoedspruit mayor crashes car for the third time
It is believed that no other car was involved in the accident, and this led to a social media uproar.
Maruleng Municipality, mayor’s official vehicle which crashed into a Ford Fiesta while driven by Pulana Sekgobela on December 26. Photo supplied
Within two months, the mayor’s official vehicles have been involved in three separate road accidents, reports Letaba Herald.
The mayor of the recent clean-audit award-winning Maruleng Municipality, Dipuo Thobejane, began her week without an official car after her courtesy vehicle, which was provided by an insurance company, went into a river on Sunday morning.
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The vehicle, a silver Mercedes-Benz sedan is reported to have gone off the road and into a river in Ofcalaco head first.
Despite this accident not being the first one but the third, it is believed that no other car was involved in the accident, and this led to a social media uproar.
On December 26 2018, her Merc SUV was crashed by her driver, Pulane Sekgobela, and earlier in January, the mayor crashed her own Ford Ranger in Hoedspruit.
With some social media users having said the mayor should be given a Toyota Corolla just like her traffic officials, and others said that she should walk like the majority of her constituents had to.
Some of the posts stated:
“She has been warned previously about dangerous driving by her staff.”
“They say third time lucky??”
“The ratepayers are patiently paying for this folly.”
The Hoedspruit Herald contacted the municipality spokesperson Joe Seokoma, and he said that an appointed driver was on his way to collect the mayor on Sunday to transport her to the Marula Festival.
“The appointed driver was on his way to collect the mayor at home to the Marula Festival. He hit a cow and lost control of the car,” said Joe Seokoma.
However, it is not clear as to why the mayor of Maruleng was being fetched on a Sunday to attend an event which was held on a Saturday.
When this misunderstanding was enquired about, the spokesperson had not responded at the time of publication.
Dipuo Thobejane could not be reached for comment, as her personal assistant Mildred Mahlo said that Thobejana was in a meeting.
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