Amahlathi municipality mayor Onke Mgunculu has finally broken his silence after a mayoral vehicle allegedly knocked down and killed a teenager in Stutterheim.
Mgunculu confirmed on Wednesday that the fatal crash involved a mayoral vehicle, but he urged rivals to refrain from using the accident for “political scoring”.
The Dispatch reported on Wednesday that the vehicle was not on an official trip, and that Mgunculu was not in the car at the time.
Insiders say the trip was undertaken without any authority from the municipality.
In a statement on Wednesday, the municipality said Mgunculu “has been inundated by media enquiries on the car accident which occurred on February 3”.
“I wish to make an appeal to politicians to resist the temptation of using the pain of the Yalezo family for political scoring. Instead the family should be afforded space to grieve the loss of their child while allowing the relevant state organs to investigate the incident,” Mgunculu said.
“I will continue working with the Yalezo family in preparation for the funeral and beyond.”
Municipal officials had reportedly been visiting areas battered by storms when the incident happened.
“On February 2, certain areas in Toise, Cathcart and Cenyulands were affected by heavy storms which resulted in the destruction of houses, falling electrical poles and thus leaving several communities vulnerable,” the municipality said in the statement.
“As part of rapid response to the incident, the mayor officially delegated councillor Xola Tokwe to act on his behalf and visit the area to assess the impact of the incident and possible propose interventions required by the affected communities.”
Tokwe was allegedly travelling back home from Cathcart when the car hit Ambesa Yalezo, 16, from Khubusi location.
“The mayor was immediately informed of the incident and visited the family to pay homage on the following day. As a result the office of the mayor and the municipality are working closely with the family in providing necessary support on their loss.”
On Tuesday, provincial police spokesperson Warrant Officer Majola Nkohli confirmed that the mayoral vehicle, a grey Toyota Fortuner, was involved in an accident that resulted in the death of the teenager near the Kubusi bridge on Thursday.
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