Free State mayor’s travel costs questioned

Municipal finance records show a Free State mayor travels between 450km and 1 000km a day.

The Volksblad newspaper reported that Xhariep district mayor Mongi Ntwanambi cost taxpayers nearly R480 008 in petrol, maintenance, licensing, tracking and repairs for his Mercedes-Benz and car hire between January and October last year.

This was more than half the price of the vehicle in 2010.

According to the newspaper, at a conservative petrol price of R11.37 a litre and fuel consumption of 8km a litre, Ntwanambi would have to have travelled on average 1 007km a day to arrive at the R42 964 he claimed to have spent on petrol in April alone.

He spent the least on fuel in July, at R4 637, when his vehicle was in for repairs, which cost the municipality more than R60 000.

The newspaper reported that Ntwanambi provided his vehicle costs as part of a motivation for the district council to buy him a new car.

The DA in the Free State said the figures were absurd and asked the Auditor-General to investigate.

The Volksblad reported the municipality refused to answer questions about the matter.

- Sapa