Calls for investigations following mayoral vehicle’s accident
MARBLE HALL – Opposition parties in the Ephraim Mogale Local Municipality (EPMLM) council are calling for an investigation following the recent involvement of the local municipality’s mayoral vehicle in an accident during a collision with a bakkie.
The opposition’s call for an investigation into the accident stems from allegations surrounding the destination of the vehicle, in which the local mayor, Given Moimana was not, the identity of the driver and the date on which it occurred.
Seun Mogotji, Bolsheviks Party of South Africa leader, said they wanted the Hawks to fully investigate the allegations surrounding the municipal official vehicle that it was driven by Mayor Moimana’s friend, who is a traffic officer, at the time of the accident.
Mogotji further said that as the party they were convinced that the mayor borrowed his friend, who is a traffic official, the official car but the municipality wanted people to believe that a municipal messenger was driving the vehicle at the time of the accident.
“Whatever the case may be, the Hawks must establish facts and confirm or verify beyond reasonable doubts the messenger’s alibi on the day of the accident. Whoever is found to have contravened the municipal code of conduct must pay for the repairs of that vehicle from their own pockets. If it was an authorized official trip, facts must be established and confirmed.
We lately have been hearing about blue light cars committing a variety of crimes ranging from robberies, hijackings, CIT heists and more. What if the mayoral car was going to be used for such purposes? We demand answers. If it is found that the mayor abused his powers by borrowing the official vehicle to his friends, then he would have abused his powers,” charged Mogotji.
Ali Maloba, Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) Chairperson in Sekhukhune region, said that as a party they requested the EPMLM’s Ethics Committee to thoroughly investigate the matter and that as a party they would independently involve the office of the Public Protector (PP) and the Hawks to intervene.
Maloba added that it could not be right that an official mayoral vehicle be driven by an unauthorized person.
“It is a special car that is in question here. We need a serious investigation into the matter and no stone should be left unturned,” indicated Maloba.
Flip Jacobs, Democratic Alliance (DA) Councillor in EPMLM, said that they were aware of the accident and concerned about the allegations.
Jacobs said that they were awaiting a municipal report on the matter and that it was seriously concerning to hear about it.
“We are going to do our own investigation as the DA to establish exactly what happened, given the allegations around the accident,” added Jacobs.
Percy Moagi, EPMLM Communications Manager, thwarted the allegations that the mayoral vehicle was involved in the accident on 31 December 2022 and dismissed them as baseless and unfounded.
Moagi said what they knew was that the car was involved in an accident on the 04th of January 2023, driven by the local municipality messenger on the R573 Road, Siyabuswa.
“The messenger was taking the car for service in Pretoria the following day, 05 January 2023. There is no way that the Honourable Mayor Given Moimana can just allow unauthorized people to drive the mayoral vehicle,” concluded Moagi.
