OUTRAGE AS E102 000 SPENT ON REPAINTING CAR

LOBAMBA – The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) learnt with outrage yesterday that it cost the taxpayer E102 000 to repaint a car, just because it was not in the colour which a former minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs preferred.

The vehicle, a BMW X5 registered GSD 000 JU, had been allocated to Edgar Hillary after he had assumed office. This was revealed by the General Transport Manager (GTM) at the Central Transport Administration (CTA) Washington Khumalo. The issue of the repainting of the brand new vehicle had been brought to the fore by the Auditor General, Timothy Matsebula, in his Audit Compliance Report, which was being debated by the PAC yesterday. The ministry responsible was that of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, which was represented by its controlling officer or Principal Secretary, Lorraine Hlophe.

Charged

In explaining why government was charged such a high price, Khumalo informed the PAC that initially, two BMW X5s were purchased by the ministry, one which was for the Attorney General, Sifiso Khumalo, and the other to be used by the former minister. The GTM said the original colours of the vehicles were metallic silver grey. The GTM alleged that the ex-minister said he was not comfortable with the colour of the vehicle, particularly since it was not black like the other vehicles which had been allocated to the other Cabinet ministers and therefore, asked if he too could be furnished with a metallic black one.

“I informed the minister that upon inquiring, we were informed that the vehicle could take a year before it was delivered,” alleged the GTM. He said, however, the minister was adamant that he wanted the vehicle in a similar colour to that of his colleagues, which was why the decision was taken to have it repainted. He said the attorney general though was comfortable with the metallic silver grey vehicle, which was why his was not repainted. The above information irked the PAC in particular its Chairperson, Matsanjeni North MP Phila Buthelezi, who asked if it was provided for in Finance Circular No.2 of 2013 that the vehicles should be one particular colour, in particular black.

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