Following the municipality’s decision to issue Makana Mayor Vumile Lwana with a petrol card, it has emerged that it has already cost taxpayers more than R6 000 since September to pay for his fuel expenses.
Following the municipality’s decision to issue Makana Mayor Vumile Lwana with a petrol card, it has emerged that it has already cost taxpayers more than R6 000 since September to pay for his fuel expenses.
According to a monthly report submitted to last week’s mayoral committee meeting on the usage of the mayor’s petrol card for the period from 4 September to 19 October, the municipality transferred R4 126.56 to the card at the beginning of last month. The balance on the account, as at 19 October, was -R2 123.37 bringing the total cost to taxpayers to R6 250.
The report shows that the mayor filled up not only in Grahamstown but also in other towns such as Mthatha, Stutterheim, King Williams Town and Port Elizabeth. Makana spokesperson Thandy Matebese said Lwana’s position requires him to often attend meetings taking place beyond the borders of Makana municipal area.
He said: "This was the case in the situations listed, for instance he is expected to attend the Mayor’s Forum in Port Elizabeth from time to time, he also attended a two-day Eastern Cape pre-intergovernmental relations summit in Mthatha." He added that the mayor’s petrol card is specifically used for council business for refuelling the official mayoral car. The mayor is chauffered around in a black BMW X5 which cost taxpayers almost half-a-million rand when it was bought in 2007.
Recently the mayoral committee approved the issuing of a credit and petrol cards to Lwana, for which a usage report is to be tabled to the committee on a monthly basis. According to Baart, the petrol card usage report (which includes the invoice as well as recomendations made by Baart) had been “reconciled against actual receipts” to ensure it is a true reflection of expenses incurred.
“[Let] it be noted that at the time of this report the credit card had not yet been issued or used, hence a report in that regard will be tabled at the next mayoral committee meeting,” she added.
