The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Polokwane Municipality strongly opposes the municipality’s intention to procure a luxury vehicle for the Chief Whip — at a cost of up to R700,000. We do so both as a matter of principle and considering the pressing need for cost containment, at a time when fiscal prudence is a national priority.
This expenditure is in direct conflict with the Municipal Cost Containment Regulations, gazetted by National Treasury, as well as with the municipality’s own Cost Containment Policy. These regulations are designed to ensure that municipal resources are used effectively, efficiently, and economically, and to eliminate wastage of public funds on non-service delivery items. Every municipality is required to adopt and implement its own cost containment policy in line with these regulations.
The municipality’s report to its Administration and Governance Portfolio Committee, which seeks to motivate the vehicle purchase, makes superficial reference to Treasury’s regulations but fails to comply with its own Cost Containment Policy. This policy expressly requires that the Accounting Officer must provide Council with, among other things, information on the extent of service delivery backlogs before such expenditure is approved.
Beyond our principled opposition to allocating a dedicated luxury vehicle to the Chief Whip, the DA cannot in good conscience support this proposal when essential municipal infrastructure and basic services are collapsing across Polokwane. Service delivery must take precedence over luxury perks for political office-bearers.
Should the ANC-led Council proceed with this ill-conceived and unnecessary purchase, the DA will not hesitate to report the matter to Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs (Limpopo), as well as to the provincial and national Treasury.
What this decision ultimately exposes are the absence of moral leadership and conscience with which the ANC continues to govern.