FTLM mayor accused of cruising in an expensive vehicle
Burgersfort/Ga-Nkoana
The Bolsheviks Party of South Africa (BPSA) in Sekhukhune said it has filed a case with the Hawks and also written to the Public Protector in Limpopo to investigate a case of irregular expenditure levelled against the office of the mayor in Fetakgomo Tubatse Local Municipality (FTLM). The party accuses FTLM Mayor, Cllr Eddie Maila, of spending over R1 Millions of council coffers to purchase a luxurious BMW X5, which they say is weighing above the permissible benchmark.
BPSA Leader, Seun Mogotji, said they raised a concern with the Hawks and the Public Protector because of the violation of government gazette directives and purchasing of a vehicle that exceeds the threshold limit of the local municipality.
“The threshold limit for vehicle purchases used by political office bearers must not exceed R700 000-00. We have laws in this country that stipulate municipal office bearers should use R700 000-00 and below for their cars. Maila is not exempted to use a vehicle that cost so much. He is the only mayor in the entire province using BMW X5,” he said.
Mogotji added that the party also want Maila to be held accountable for using another luxurious BMW as an escort vehicle, which he unilaterally acquired with the taxpayer’s money.
“The mayor is also having a back-up vehicle, a BMW 320, which according to the government gazette; mayors are not allowed to have escort vehicles. Even the MEC in the province does not drive in a convoy,” he said.
Mogotji said it is concerning that the local municipality fails to deliver services to the people while the mayor is busy irregularly splurging taxpayer’s money on expensive fleet.
“During the recent visit by the president to Sekhukhune, residents of Fetakgomo who wanted to raise issues with the president were manhandled and denied access to speak to the president. Only those who sang the mayor’s praises were allowed to speak. Roads are a mess at Ga-Komane in Leolo (Ward 12) is unfinished and FTLM’s spent a whopping R11m, which falls under Fetakgomo Tubatse, however, speaker after speaker at the Presidential Imbizo said things were fine, which makes us suspect that people who were praising the municipality might have been paid,” alleges Mogotji.
He said the party has also learnt allegations of the mayor being a dictator and micro managing everything including MPAC reports, which must allegedly pass through him to “manage” before going to the council.
“This is odd and we are convinced that an investigation is warranted to ensure smooth running of the municipality and public funds,” he said.
Mogotji accuses Maila of running the municipality on a mafia style, handling all duties including those of municipal manager and spokesperson of the government institution.
“We ask that thorough investigations be carried out to ensure no political office bearer lays their paws on public funds meant for service delivery,” he said.
Captain Matimba Maluleke, Hawks Spokesperson in Limpopo, confirmed that they are investigating Maila’s luxurious vehicle purchase.
FTLM’s communications Manager Thabiso Mokoena said ” This matter has been reported to the law enforcement agencies, it is sub judice and we implore everybody to give those agencies time and space to do their work and therefore we reserve our rights to comment in order to comply with the law.”
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