Ratepayers in the financially-strained Amathole district municipality are forking out thousands of rand a month to hire luxury vehicles for mayor Anele Ntsangani after the official mayoral vehicle was involved in an accident last year while the mayor was driving.
Neither he nor his two aides were hurt, but the vehicle, a Toyota Fortuner, was reportedly written off.
The vehicle, said by some insiders to have less than 5,000km on the clock, was being driven by the mayor at the time of the accident, contrary to regulations.
Ntsangani had to drive himself as neither of his protectors had driver’s licences and his official driver had “absconded”.
Highly placed municipal insiders said on Monday the accident had been kept under wraps.
No official report was submitted to the municipality’s accident committee or to the council, as required by legislation.
On Monday, opposition parties in the municipality said the accident had never been reported at any council meeting.
While Ntsangani said the accident had occurred in about August 2024, ADM spokesperson Sisa Msiwa said it had taken place on April 22.
After the accident the mayor had driven his own car on official business, until the municipality started hiring vehicles for him “around October or November”.
It is understood the municipality is paying between R40,000 and R50,000 to rent vehicles for the mayor every month.
On Monday, co-operative governance and traditional affairs (Cogta) MEC Zolile Williams’ spokesperson, Pheello Oliphant, said Ntsangani, by driving himself, had disregarded a ministerial handbook rule and a Cogta policy barring politicians from driving themselves in state-sponsored vehicles.
The accident took place on the N2 a few kilometres from the Qumrha turn-off while Ntsangani and his protectors were travelling between East London and Willowvale on official business.
On Monday, Ntsangani confirmed he had indeed been driving the Fortuner when it skidded on a wet road and overturned.
But he denied breaking the law.
He said his council had adopted a policy that allowed him and other top municipal politicians to drive themselves when necessary.
“On the day, I was with two of my bodyguards who do not have driving licences.
“My designated driver was not there on the day as he had absconded from work, but that was no train smash as our policy allows me to drive myself.
“It was drizzling and oil was spilt on the road, so I lost control and the vehicle overturned.
“None of us sustained any serious injuries.”
While insiders at ADM claim the accident was “covered up”, Ntsangani said he had reported the matter to his mayoral committee, the institution and to other troika members while at the accident scene.
Ntsangani said he had not wanted the council to hire him a vehicle and so had used his own vehicle for a few weeks after the accident, but had then been told this was not allowed, so he had been forced to hire vehicles.
He also denied the Fortuner had clocked up only 5,000km, saying it had travelled more than 50,000km before the accident.
Ntsangani said he would be getting a new mayoral car in the next week or two, since the insurance company had settled.
But Oliphant said policy did not allow Ntsangani to drive a state vehicle himself.
“He was in contravention of the ministerial handbook, Cogta and SA Local Government Association policies on the use of state assets, which prohibit ministers, MECs, mayors and any senior politicians from driving themselves when people were employed for this.
“For ratepayers now to be footing a bill for an act arising from illegality, which could have been avoided, makes matters worse.
“The law is clear and straightforward that this will lead to fruitless expenditure which could have been prevented if policy was followed.”
The situation was worsened “if this matter was never reported to the council”.
On Monday, council speaker Onke Mgunculu declined to comment, referring queries to ADM’s communications team, but both the EFF and DA in the council confirmed the matter had never been brought to any council meeting.
DA councillor Jean Lombard told the Dispatch she was “totally unaware” of the incident.
It was “not correct for the mayor to be driving himself around, possibly without any advanced driving training”.
But she said she could not comment adequately “as the matter was never brought to council for noting”.
EFF councillor Vuyani Manxodidi also said his party was in the dark about the accident.
“This is the first we are hearing about this and therefore we cannot comment adequately about it.”
The SA Municipal Workers Union’s ADM chair, Lorna Lubhedu, who doubles as the union’s provincial deputy secretary, also pleaded ignorance.
“I cannot comment on this. It’s the first time I’ve heard about it and I am not even sure the mayor was driving himself as you claim, so we cannot comment about something we are not aware of.”
ADM spokesperson Msiwa said Ntsangani had every right to drive himself, “in line with municipal policy”.
There was no regulation preventing him from driving himself.
The exact costs of hiring vehicles for the mayor “are being determined within budgetary provisions”.
“After the accident, he drove his own car until we started hiring for him around October or November.”
Daily Dispatch
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