WHERE DID BMWS MONEY COME FROM? - MPS

LOBAMBA – Members of Parliament (MPs) have questioned government on where it obtained the money to procure the luxurious BMW motorbikes and escort vehicles.

The question was posed to the Minister of Public Works and Transport, Chief Ndlaluhlaza Ndwandwe.
The issue of the 126 escort vehicles and bikes which were recently bought by government, was an obvious thorn in the flesh for the legislators whose inquisitiveness on the matter was glaring. The legislators argued that government had been harping about having no money but it had the funds to purchase the luxurious fleet which has caused a frenzy among many people, who are equally questioning the rational and timing for the procurement of the cars.

Populace

It is no secret that the various quarters are not taking kindly to government’s lavish spending at a time when the country is facing one of its worst economic challenges and failing to provide basic services.
Also, government has been citing the tough economic times as an excuse for not giving into the demands by civil servants in their quest for a cost-of-living adjustment (CoLA).

Ntfonjeni MP Sifiso Magagula called for the minister to furnish the House with all the details regarding the purchasing of the vehicles, as emaSwati were inquisitive on the matter yet they didn’t have the answers. He said it was their duty as elected MPs to give responses to the electorate, especially on a subject that had become a national concern. Gege MP Musa Kunene also called for the minister to give full details on the purchase because it was a thorny issue that had not gone down well with the populace.

Portfolio Committees’ Chair of Chairs and Hosea MP Mduduzi Mabuza also wanted to know from the minister if this was the first fleet of escort cars bought by government in the last five years or it had been purchasing the cars in segments over the years.
Minister Chief Ndlaluhlaza maintained the response he gave through a statement, that the purchasing of the fleet of escort vehicles went through the tender process in line with government policy. He said an order was made to the manufacturer in July 2018 at the finalisation of the tender process.

Concern

“The purchased vehicles replaced an old fleet of cars bought in 2008 for the same purpose and there was no way we could have reversed the purchase because there was a strong need to replace the escort vehicles because the current ones are old and constantly developing mechanical faults,” he said.

The minister also mentioned that he was once approached by former National Commissioner of Police Isaac Magagula, now a Senator; over the issue of the old escort cars and the latter recommended that they should be replaced because they were no longer fit for escort purposes. The minister is expected to submit a report with all the responses to Parliament today and they would be tabled tomorrow.

Deputy Speaker and Matsanjeni North MP Phila Buthelezi read the riot act to the minister on cost cutting measures. He criticised him for buying space in the paper instead and wasting government funds when he should have called a press conference to address the media.

On another note, the MPs raised great concern on the abusing of government vehicles which they called a ‘legalised crime’ because no one was punished or brought before an inquiry about it. Nkwene MP Vulimpompi Nhleko made an example that a fleet of government cars were seen at stadiums every week.


He advised the minister to approach the person who authorised for such and deal with them so that would-be offenders could learn and refrain from abusing the government cars.

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