The mayor of Musina Municipality in Limpopo province has purchased a brand new Mercedes Benz ML350 SUV, despite service delivery backlogs within the municipality.
This is according to the Democratic Alliance, which said it has written to Limpopo Cooperative Governance MEC, Makoma Makhurupetje, to probe wasteful expenditure after Mihloti Muhlope purchased the vehicle for R1.1 million.
News24 reported last month that Musina was one of six Limpopo municipalities that were on the verge of financial collapse and need urgent bailouts.
According to DA Councillor in Musina Local Municipality, Elliot Magwira, the opposition party challenged the decision during a council sitting on 25th January 2017. “The ANC arrogantly used its majority and voted in favour of buying a luxury Mercedes for the mayor, rather than committing money to service delivery,” Magwira said.
“The money could have been spent to finish the sports centre in Musina extension 6 in Harper, solve the sanitation crisis in the urban area where water is flowing on the ground whilst all roads that lead to town are damaged with potholes,” Magwira said.
“The ANC government continues to put ANC cadre’s self-interest and luxury first, before the interests of the residents of Musina.”
The DA reiterated the call for a mayoral handbook at local and provincial level to ensure that limited municipal resources are not spent on expensive luxury vehicles or lavished on unnecessary expenditure.
“We will further submit a motion in the next council meeting and ensure that the money is well spent on accelerating the services to the people of Musina” Magwira said.
