The Emalahleni local municipality has decided to use a R1.5-million rollover budget from developmental projects to buy a new luxury vehicle for its executive mayor Lindiwe Ntshalintshali.
In a meeting held on Thursday last week, the council approved the purchase of a new car for her.
A report from her office which Sowetan has seen states that a vehicle suitable for Ntshalintshali has a "typical price range benchmark between R1-million and R2-million".
- Will our new mayors downgrade to wheels with less bling?Leather upholstery‚ elegant finishes‚ climate control and a state-of-the-art sound system married to a powerful high-performance engine in a luxury sedan – or an eco-friendly hatchback?
Municipal manager Theo van Vuuren said the council approved the replacement of the official vehicle [a Lexus] of the mayor in terms of the supply chain processes.
Van Vuuren recommended that "the vehicle will be financed from the following savings identified from the rollover budget limited to a maximum of R1.5-million."
The Democratic Alliance said it did not support the decision. Its caucus leader Narita Naidu said: "It is morally wrong that the mayor can drive a brand new vehicle, paid for with money intended for service delivery."
Neither the municipal spokesman or the spokesman for the SA Local Government Association had commented at the time of publishing.
Read the full story on SowetanLIVE
Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package. 