Mystery surrounds two crashes involving a state vehicle allocated to Ngqushwa council speaker Daniswa Ncanywa, including one in Gauteng while she was allegedly attending ANC business.
Ncanywa has denied any knowledge of the incidents, despite confirmation from the municipality that the white Audi Q5 assigned to her was damaged in two separate accidents in September and October.
Municipal manager Ndoda Mgengo confirmed at the weekend that the vehicle was involved in a crash in Gauteng in September and another on October 30 near Peddie.
He said both incidents occurred without Ncanywa in the car.
However, several ANC insiders dispute this, alleging that the speaker drove the state vehicle to Johannesburg against party instructions and was inside the car when the first crash happened.
Ncanywa on Friday denied that her official vehicle had ever travelled to Gauteng or been involved in any accident.
“I know nothing about any accident. My official vehicle had never travelled to Gauteng.
“Currently, that vehicle is at the municipal offices and I am using my own car,” she said.
When asked why she was not using the Audi, Ncanywa replied: “Please speak to the MM [municipal manager]. Vehicles are the responsibility of administration and I am a politician.”
Mgengo said the Gauteng incident occurred after he authorised travel for Ncanywa’s official protectors.
He said the speaker had been on a personal visit to the province when she allegedly received threatening calls.
“I can confirm that the car was involved in a crash in Gauteng. That happened after I had sent it to that province,” he said.
“The speaker was in Joburg on a personal visit, and while she was there, she got some calls … which were making her feel very much unsafe. I had to send her security.”
He said the crash was allegedly caused by “a drunk taxi driver, who did not even have a driver’s licence”, and again insisted Ncanywa was not inside the vehicle.
Mgengo denied that Ncanywa had travelled to Gauteng on ANC business.
“All I know is that she was there on personal business,” he said.
The vehicle was repaired in Johannesburg.
According to Mgengo, the second accident occurred on October 30 as the municipal driver was returning the car to the Eastern Cape.
“The report we have is that the car was bumped into by a passing vehicle while the driver was parking at the side of the road as he was tired from driving from Gauteng.
“The speaker was not in the car on both instances,” he said.
He said councillors were not permitted to use state vehicles for party events without special permission.
However, party insiders have rejected Mgengo’s account.
One senior ANC figure said: “Despite all ANC councillors having been warned against using state resources when travelling to Gauteng in September when the party summoned its 4,000 plus municipal public reps countrywide, the speaker [allegedly] did the opposite.
“She drove with her protector for the ANC meeting scheduled for September 15, but unfortunately, on the Sunday night, September 14, a day before the roll call meeting, the car was involved in a crash, and she was [allegedly] inside the vehicle when this incident happened in Johannesburg.”
A second insider was equally dismissive of the official explanation.
“It is a blatant lie that the car followed her to Joburg after she had received threats …
“All I know is that she [allegedly] left the province in that car, despite a clear order from Luthuli House that we all should not use state resources while attending the party meeting,” the insider said.
The Gauteng crash left the vehicle extensively damaged and unable to be driven back to the Eastern Cape.
Mgengo said it was later repaired and returned to the municipality before the second crash occurred.
He showed the Dispatch two documents containing accident report numbers, one from the Johannesburg Metro Police department and another from Peddie police.
Last week, the car was photographed under a white cover behind an RDP house in Peddie extension.
Mgengo denied the damaged vehicle had been “hidden” there, despite the circulating image.
Insiders said the vehicle had been kept at a house near where Ncanywa’s driver lives before being towed away at night several days later.
Nearly two months after the first crash, the matter has still not been brought before the council.
Mgengo confirmed the speaker was now using a hired vehicle.
Ngqushwa mayor Sanga Maneli on Friday confirmed that he was aware of the accidents but referred further questions to Mgengo.
Both the EFF and DA caucuses said the matter had not been tabled before the council.
Daily Dispatch
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