Pretoria - The North West Provincial Government has refuted a media report which appeared in the Sowetan newspaper this week about the Premier, Supra Mahumapelo.
According to the report, the Premier and his MECs are shopping for new cars and ignoring the ministerial handbook. The report comes after the provincial Treasury announced plans to buy 11 executive cars, sedans or SUVs and another 10 relieve vehicles.
In terms of the ministerial handbook, the Premier who earns R2.1 million a year, can buy a car costing up to 70 percent of his annual salary, while his MECs, who are paid R1.8 million annually, are allowed to buy a car up to R1.28 million.
Setting the record straight, the provincial government said since his appointment in 2014, the Premier has not purchased a new vehicle, he inherited a vehicle that was used by the former Premier Thandi Modise and the vehicle is currently at a millage of 90000 km.
The engine of the vehicle has been replaced due to a misfire and R187 895 had to be paid for the new engine, the vehicle got stuck more than 20 times, yet he never rented a vehicle and instead used his private vehicles, the relief vehicle he uses is currently at a millage of 220 000 km.
Other MECs also got stuck with their vehicles and the Premier lent them his allocated official vehicle to bail them out and this is part of the provincial austerity measures.
“To this effect the Premier has since his appointment directed that MECs who purchase vehicles must do so to the tune not exceeding R600 000 even if they qualify for more in terms of the ministerial handbook,” the provincial government said in a statement.
The Premier always avoids sleeping at expensive hotels when he is on official business at Sun City he does not sleep at the Lost City.
In some occasions when he leads the Setsokotsane programme across municipalities in the province, he eats at taxi ranks. He has encouraged his MECs to do the same.
Premier Mahumapelo respects and abides by the law, he has tabled a forensic report to the provincial legislature and has instituted forensic investigations at the Department of Health and at the Agricultural College.
The Office of the Premier handles many cases relating to corruption through its misconduct unit and he has undertaken to report to the provincial legislature two times a year.
He does not intend buying a car for himself and the department that procures vehicles for MECs is that of Community, Safety and Transport Management.
He does not stay at the official government residence and instead stays at his own house and that security assessment done at the guard house of the Premier’s residence required R500 000 but he decided not to utilise that, instead he paid from his own personal coffers R40 000 for the security measures at his guard house.
The Premier also pays electricity and water used at the guard house from his personal coffers every month and a generator was bought for him by government but he took a decision that the generator be donated to a clinic where it would be utilised to benefit members of the community. – SAnews.gov.za
