The Western Cape government has spent more than R72 million on 136 BMWs for the provincial traffic department, many sitting idle at the Gene Louw Traffic College in Brackenfell for more than a year.
This was revealed by Mobility MEC Ricardo Mackenzie in written replies to questions from ANC provincial mobility spokesperson Lulama Mvimbi.
Mackenzie said the vehicles which were purchased by Government Motor Transport (GMT) and once converted and fitted with the required equipment and technology, will be utilised as Highway Patrol vehicles for purposes of providing law enforcement and road safety services.
He said the costs for the BMW’s amount to R72 241 704. McKenzie reportedly said the cars had not yet been used due to delays caused by the tender process for fitting reflective marking, branding and installation of technology.
Some of the cars are parked in Brackenfell, while the rest are at the Government Garage in Maitland.
On whether it was normal procedure for the department to purchase such a big fleet, MacKenzie said GMT procures vehicles in batches, based on need.
“As a result of global supply chain challenges stemming from the impact of Covid-19 that continues to plague the automotive industry, GMT (and most fleet owners) struggled with keeping up with their planned cycle of vehicle replacements. This in turn resulted in challenges with vehicle storage space as manufacturers started producing and delivering vehicles once again.
“The BMW vehicle procurement and conversion project suffered a further setback as a result of a fire that gutted Renesas, a Japanese technology company, and one of the car industry’s biggest computer chip suppliers,” he said.
The first BMW’s will be handed over to provincial traffic from mid-October 2023, and the remainder will be fitted and ready for handover by the end of November, Mackenzie said.
Mvimbi said the DA-led government's “wasteful and fruitless” expenditure of more than R72m on BMWs is a “disgrace”.
“The purchase of 136 BMWs was a clear case of mismanagement and abuse of state coffers. These vehicles have been sitting idle at a government garage for 15 months, and will not hit the road until October or November this year. Premier Alan Winde needs to take responsibility for this wasteful expenditure.”
“The DA-led government has offered a number of flimsy excuses for this wasteful expenditure, including the need to fit the vehicles with special technology. There is no justification for this process to take nearly 20 months,“ he said.
GOOD member of the Western Cape Provincial Parliament (WCPP) Peter de Villiers said it was “shocking” that the provincial government procured BMWs that were not fit for purpose.
“Over R72m has been spent but the province currently has nothing to show for it. Law Enforcement and Metro Officers are left incapacitated due to the lack of vehicles available to them. Being able to account for the lawful spending of taxpayers' money is an important part of leadership.
GOOD reiterates our call for the Premier to conduct a forensic investigation into the procurement of these vehicles,” he said.
Cosatu provincial secretary Malvern de Bruyn called for Winde to be transparent on the matter.
“These vehicles could be used on our roads for effective traffic use and law enforcement. The shocking amount of money revealed as wasteful expenditure is unacceptable. We were informed that one vehicle cost close to R850 000. We are calling on the Premier and the MEC to be transparent about the circumstances around this, the intended use of these vehicles and steps to be taken to deal with the responsible persons.”
Cape Times