School buses rebranded for ANC

A row over the rebranding of two school buses in ANC colours erupted this week with the company that donated them demanding the buses be returned to their intended purpose.

The two school buses, donated by German electronics company Siemens, were rebranded at a cost of R90,000 through former president Nelson Mandela's grandson Mandla Mandela, with money from the Mvezo Development Trust, the Sunday Times reported.

The buses have reportedly been used for the party's election campaigns, meaning that the rural school they were donated to had to fork out around R9 000 a day to hire other buses to transport pupils to and from school.

Siemens demanded that the African National Congress branding be removed and that they be returned to the school for their intended purpose.

Mandla Mandela's spokesman Freddy Pilusa said Siemens had been aware of the rebranding.

"It is clear to all parties that the Siemens branding will be returned after the elections as per an agreement with Siemens.

"Chief Mandla is satisfied that at no point has the use of the buses in support of the ANC been to the detriment of the schoolchildren of the area."