Just weeks after communications minister Siphiwe Nyanda came under heavy fire from opposition political parties for the ministry’s purchase of two luxury 7-Series BMWs, his deputy, Dina Pule, has come under fire for also purchasing two expensive German-made vehicles.
DA national spokesman Lindiwe Mazibuko says the purchase by Pule’s office a Mercedes Benz GL320 CDI for use in Gauteng and a Audi Q7 4.2 TDI for use in Cape Town demonstrates that she hasn’t taken heed of the recent public outcry over ministerial cars. The Mercedes cost taxpayers R868 000 and the Audi R757 000.
“This brings the total amount spent by the communications ministry, on vehicles for just two individuals, to R4m,” Mazibuko says.
She says the ministry “evaded” a question over the cost of accessories for the vehicles and that leads her to believe that that Pule’s vehicles have include “some extravagant extras”.
“The fact that another R1,6m has been wasted on flashy cars is clear evidence that, in spite of all the ANC’s posturing and rhetoric, there is no real commitment to cutting back on wastage and directing funds towards service delivery,” Mazibuko says. — Staff reporter, TechCentral
