BITOU COUNCIL ENDS LEASE OF EXPENSIVE ANC MAYORAL CAR

The Bitou Municipal Council, under the leadership of the Democratic Alliance, has resolved to terminate a costly car rental agreement concluded in 2009 for the rental of a BMW X5 vehicle as the official mayoral vehicle for Mayor Memory Booysen's predecessor, ANC Mayor Lulama Mvimbi.

The vehicle rented in terms of this agreement was one of the most of expensive mayoral cars used in South Africa and was acquired illegally and in contravention of the guidelines set out by the Municipal Office Bearers' Handbook. The expenditure incurred by the Bitou Municipality and ultimately the taxpayer in this regard was unwarranted, unlawful and wasteful.

The car was rented for the ANC Mayor at a cost of R19,975.00 per month. The Bitou Municipal Council has now agreed to terminate the car rental agreement, and in doing so, save the Bitou taxpayer money. The outstanding payments due in terms of the car rental agreement amounted to R 259,683.00.

The cost to the Bitou Municipal Council for the termination of the car rental agreement will be R129,873.00. The decision by the Bitou Municipal Council to terminate the car rental agreement will ensure that a saving of R129,809.00 that would otherwise have been spent on the mayoral vehicle can now be used to improve service delivery in the Bitou area.

The DA in the Western Cape applauds the decision and action taken by the Bitou Municipal Council and its Mayor in particular to ensure that municipal spending does not amount to further wasteful expenditure and can be directed at improving service delivery in Bitou.

Statement issued by Donald Grant, Democratic Alliance Western Cape Bitou Constituency Head, September 7 2011

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