LOBAMBA — Principal Secretary (PS) in the Ministry of Public Works and Transport Thulani Mkhaliphi has decried abuse of government vehicles by officers, mainly those from State security agencies.
The PS asserted that poor vehicle management practices were leading to escalating government transport costs.
According to Mkhaliphi, reckless driving and continued dependence on hired vehicles were placing immense pressure on public finances.
The PS said: “In the 744 cars recently procured, they are at different ministries, and in security agencies the reach is limited, but what you see is horrible driving patterns which kill the cars prematurely. It makes their maintenance prohibitively expensive, in terms of tyres, gearbox and other parts.”
He also said: “We are seeing something which we have never seen, and this is because of the system. The drivers are reckless.”
In vernacular he said: “Batishayela kabi”.
Mkhaliphi made the remarks yesterday when the ministry appeared before Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) to respond to concerns raised by Auditor General Timothy Matsebula regarding government expenditure on vehicle rentals.
The auditor general’s report for the financial year ended March 31, 2025 revealed that government spent E85.7 million on vehicle rentals through the Central Transport Administration (CTA), despite purchasing 744 vehicles at a cost of more than E492 million during the same period.
The report noted that rental expenditure had increased by 12.2 per cent despite the investment in the new fleet, raising concerns about wasteful expenditure and continued reliance on rented vehicles.
In the report, the AG said this indicated that the ministry continued to rely on rental arrangements, resulting in wasteful and uneconomic expenditure to the detriment of taxpayers’ funds.
He mentioned that Section 11(2)(f) of the Public Finance Management Act, 2017, states that principal secretaries should put in place measures to prevent wasteful expenditure or loss of public resources.
“The costs of these rentals may not be sustainable and affordable in the near future due to the declining trend in the government’s revenue streams, and funding may not be available to sustain the rentals,” said the AG.
He advised the ministry to consider acquiring new vehicles instead of renting.
Responding to the concerns, Mkhaliphi acknowledged that government had not managed to significantly reduce vehicle rental costs, but argued that the situation was more complex than it appeared.
He explained that the expenditure did not originate solely from the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, but from multiple government ministries relying on CTA for transport services during official operations and national events.
The PS said although the newly-acquired fleet had helped stabilise the situation, the number of vehicles purchased was still insufficient to fully meet government demand.
According to Mkhaliphi, the 744 vehicles were introduced at a time when there was already a severe shortage within government departments, particularly within security agencies where operational demands remained high.
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Ministry of Public Works and Transport officers led by Principal Secretary Thulani Mkhaliphi during the PAC sitting yesterday. (Courtesy pics)