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CTA TOUR: CAR PARTS FOUND IN WORKERS’ LOCKERS

23/10/2020 08:20:00 BY SIBONGILE SUKATI

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MBABANE – If there were any doubts that some CTA employees help themselves to car parts, these have been dispelled.

This happened yesterday when the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) shockingly found car parts in personal lockers used by some mechanics and other employees of the Central Transport Administration (CTA) premises in the capital city yesterday.

This was during a tour of the government garage by the PAC, the Auditor General (AG), Timothy Matsebula and other senior ranking government officers.

The discovery of the parts, which included car lights, wiper motors and other small components, was made towards the end of the tour after one of the officers suggested that the MP Phila Buthelezi-led committee should pay a visit to the staff toilets and lockers.

The lockers are primarily used by the workers to keep their clothes and food items.

Lockers

However, tucked away in some of the lockers were the car parts which the members of the committee were of the view that had been removed from some of the government vehicles which were at the government garage to be fixed.

Those who witnessed the findings included the General Transport Manager (GTM) of the CTA, Washington Khumalo and Under Secretary in the Ministry of Public Works and Transport Naniki Mnisi.The GTM said he was not aware that the mechanics were keeping parts in their lockers.

He informed the PAC that perhaps those were parts which could no longer be used, but said he still did not understand what they were doing in the employees’ lockers.

He further promised the PAC that he would investigate this finding.

However, it was clear that everyone was disassociating themselves from the found parts.

It was reported that for as long as five months, a majority of the mechanics at the CTA had not been working and the reason forwarded was that there were no spare parts which could be put in the vehicles, particularly because the garage owed many of its suppliers and, therefore, the parts could not be delivered. Another observation made was that the mechanics were found to be very clean.

Dvokodvweni Member of Parliament (MP) Mduduzi Magagula submitted that for people who were supposed to work with oils and engines, their appearance was very neat and clean, which showed that they had not put in a decent day’s work.

The tour of the garage took place between 11:30am until about 1:30pm.

Discovery

Before the discovery of the parts in the lockers, the committee had been taken on a tour of the yard where ‘boarded’ government vehicles, which were awaiting auction, were kept. Upon inspection inside the bonnets, it was discovered that a majority of the vehicles did not have engines and none if the automobiles were running or operable unless towed away. Khumalo, in this regard, said some of the parts were stolen by thieves who took advantage of the fallen fence around the premises, adding that they only had two security guards who watched over the place at night and that they only had sjamboks to protect themselves and the property from thugs.

It was reported that about three CTA officers had in the past been alleged to have stolen car parts, but four years later, their trial had still not been concluded and they were still being salaried. Meanwhile, it was stated that since the CTA and government started fighting over the Trading Account, not much work was being done by the CTA garage employees.

However, MP Buthelezi highlighted that the court battle between government and CTA workers only started about two months ago, so it was clear that the employees had ‘downed tools’ since the Trading Account was removed from the CTA around June 2020. The PAC further discovered that an ambulance, which was supposed to be used for the operations of the COVID-19 pandemic had been lying at the CTA garage unfixed for a period of about three months.

MP Buthelezi then asked to see the job card for the ambulance, but he was informed that it had been locked in one of the offices and, therefore, it could not be retrieved for the PAC to inspect.

Two other idle ambulances were further found at the CTA workshop and, according to the GTM, they were ready for use, but were awaiting branding.

Again, Khumalo said they could not be branded because government owed the company which was supposed to carry out the job. However, the PAC was of the view that the branding was not an immediate requirement as it could be done at a later stage.