EFF demands answers as municipality remains silent on latest stolen truck
The EFF has renewed calls for accountability after another municipal truck was stolen in eMalahleni, adding to a growing list of missing fleet assets.
The eMalahleni Local Municipality has failed to respond to political demands for a report on its missing fleet after another truck was stolen.
Police said three men broke into a guardroom at a municipal site at about 21:20 on September 19, tied up three security guards on duty, and stole their cellphones.
The suspects then stole a municipal truck and copper cables before fleeing.
Police reported that the guards were unable to identify the suspects because they wore balaclavas throughout the robbery.
Growing list of missing vehicles
The latest incident adds to a growing list of municipal vehicles reported stolen or hijacked in eMalahleni over the past year.
Among the vehicles still reported missing are a Bell grader, municipal refuse trucks and a municipal bakkie that was hijacked at gunpoint earlier this year.
READ MORE: Refuse truck in eMalahleni – have you seen it?
EFF calls for investigation
Following the latest theft, the EFF in Mpumalanga renewed calls for accountability, alleging that organised criminal networks may be targeting municipal assets.
EFF eMalahleni Chief Whip Mahero Sekgala previously called on Municipal Manager Sizwe Mayisela and Executive Mayor Vusi Nhlapo to release a preliminary report detailing all municipal fleet vehicles reported stolen and the status of investigations.
Witbank News approached municipal spokesperson Lebo Mofokeng for comment on the latest theft and the EFF’s allegations, but had not received a response by the time of publication.
According to Sekgala, the deadline set by the party has come and gone without any response from the municipality.
He said the continued disappearance of municipal vehicles is affecting service delivery and raising serious questions about security measures protecting municipal property.
READ MORE: Bakkie believed to be the municipality’s hijacked at gunpoint
Sekgala reiterated claims that concerns about municipal fleet thefts had been raised in council before, including the theft of the Bell grader, which was referred to the Municipal Public Accounts Committee for investigation.
The EFF has also called for the Special Investigating Unit to investigate all cases involving stolen municipal fleet vehicles, as well as other alleged incidents of vandalism involving municipal infrastructure.
Police investigations into the latest truck theft are continuing, and no arrests had been made by the time of publication.
Another truck believed to belong to the Emalahleni Local Municipality vanishes during robbery as fleet theft list grows.
— WitbankNews (@WitbankN) September 24, 2026
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