THE Bitou Municipality’s decision to lease a R740000 luxury BMW for Mayor Lulama Mvimbi has been greeted with outrage.
The BMW X5, which costs R641000 in basic form, has been packed with optional accessories, including a flashing blue light, siren and R21000 satellite navigation system.
Western Cape Transport MEC Robin Carlisle said he was “absolutely outraged”.
Based on a rule of thumb applied by the provincial administration, Mvimbi qualified for a “more than adequate” car valued at about R250000, taking into account his salary of almost R50000 a month.
Opposition politicians in Bitou also vehemently criticised the leasing of the latest E70 X5 BMW model, which is costing ratepayers in excess of R20000 a month, saying the money could be better used helping the thousands of people living below the breadline in Plett.
ID councillor Veronica Terblanche said Mvimbi was failing to consider the poor “in these recessionary times”.
“Driving around in an expensive luxury car is both wasteful and arrogant. He could have spent half that on his car while the other half could have been used to fight rampant unemployment and alleviate the suffering among the poorest of the poor.”
DA councillor Johann Brummer said Mvimbi was “a parasite” and that the BMW lease was “a desperate attempt to cure his inferiority complex”.
He said leasing of the mayor’s car required public participation, the input of the national and provincial treasuries and a full council resolution, none of which had taken place.
Independent councillor Memory Booysen said he was speechless. “I can’t grasp this guy’s actions. He has been very insensitive, especially in the recession. My constituents in KwaNokuthula are up in arms. On a national level the ANC has promised to cut out spending on fancy things, but now it’s happened in Plett and they’re doing nothing about it.”
The E70 X5 “base model” cost R641000, but the optional extras ordered by Bitou added R99000, taking the cost to R740000.
The extras included 19-inch wheels, a tow bar, darkened windows, sunroof, leather-clad steering wheel, a CD shuttle music system and the latest GPS navigation system – which costs R21000 on its own.
The “space grey” coloured car had also been fitted with a flashing blue light in the front grille, a police-type siren and a public address system, apparently designed to alert motorists someone important was approaching and that they should make way.
Carlisle said the mayor “does not need a sunroof, leather steering wheel or any of the other stuff” and that the car cost more than those used by MECs.
Mvimbi, who in his budget speech for the 2009/10 financial year said the municipality would have to “do away with the nice-to- haves”, declined to comment.
“The car is an administrative matter,” he said. “The decision was taken a long time ago. I really have no comment to make.”
Mvimbi added the municipality would respond after publication of this report.
ANC Youth League (ANCYL) spokesman Andile Mbali said the new car “is a very good thing” and that Mvimbi should have had it a long time ago “for his safety”.
Mbali said a new car for a white official would not be questioned. “Is our mayor not good enough to spend R20000 per month on? It is time that the ratepayers realise they are not in the majority. The ANCYL fully supports this move. It is a very good car, especially for a poor black like the mayor.”
Plett Ratepayers’ Association deputy chairman Christo Vlok said: “The money could be used to improve infrastructure, which is going downhill at a hell of a rate.”
The move is in apparent contradiction of the Municipal Office Bearer’s Handbook recently adopted by Bitou council which says the value of the mayor’s car should not exceed his annual salary of about R568000.
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