Opposition parties in the KwaDukuza Local Municipality, on the north coast of KwaZulu-Natal, are outraged over what they termed as gross abuse of power by the municipality leadership following allegations that the municipality has allocated a car to the Mayor's wife to take their children to school.
At a council meeting on Thursday Independent Alliance leader Melisizwe Nhleko demanded accountability from the Mayor Muzi Ali Ngidi and the Municipal Manager Nhlanhla Mdakane as the accounting officer. Nhleko had come to the meeting saying he had tangible evidence where another councillor had taken a picture of the mayoral car which he said was spotted inside the school, dropping off the Mayor’s children.
Speaking after the meeting, Nhleko said his party will write to Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC Reverend Thulasizwe Buthelezi to intervene in the matter because the Mayor left the chamber instead of answering questions, claiming he was feeling unsafe because he was being followed.
Nhleko said the municipal manager said he did not know who had authorised the car to be used since it was supposed to be at the municipality premises, pending a mechanical report on its suitability for use by Ngidi .
The Independent Alliance claimed that Ngidi had asked that the former Mayor’s undergo a mechanical check up before he started using it.
“As far as we know the mayoral cars are kept at the premises pending the mechanical report on their suitability for use by the new Mayor and we were shocked to learn that one of the cars is being used by the mayor’s family for personal use. This is a gross abuse of power and the Mayor must be held accountable, including the official who authorised that,” said Nhleko.
Furthermore, he said the council must be furnished with the tracker travel report for the two mayoral cars that were previously used by the former mayor.
Joining the fray, ActionSA councillor Halalisani Ndlovu said his party too was shocked to hear that the same car that the Council was informed had mechanical problems was allegedly being used for personal trips. He said his party demanded that the officials responsible must compile a report and present it to the full council which will sit in three weeks.
The municipality spokesperson Sifiso Zulu confirmed that the matter came up in the council meeting and was referred to the fleet management to bring a report in the next council meeting.