The mayor of the Umzimvubu Local Municipality in the Eastern Cape, Sobane Mnukwa, is in trouble following a car accident – his second in a year – in a state vehicle that he was allegedly not permitted to drive.
This crash happened while Mnukwa is still under investigation by the municipality for the first accident, which took place in April last year. It also involved a municipal vehicle he was not supposed to drive; one person died.
Democratic Alliance’s deputy provincial leader, Wongekile Potwana, has called on Eastern Cape Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC Xolile Nqatha to sack Mnukwa “before he causes more accidents”.
Potwana said that the damages would cost the municipality more than R2 million.
“This mayor is a liability to the taxpayer. He is a delinquent and a disgrace,” Potwana said. “This second accident means that, within the space of a year, an amount of R2.2 million has been wrecked by this mayor. In both instances, he was not supposed to have been behind the wheel.”
Umzimvubu Local Municipality spokesperson, Nokhanyo Zembe, said they were looking into the matter.
“We are still conducting our own investigations. Once we are done with investigations, which will include reports from the police, we will be in a position to say what exactly transpired in this particular case,” Zembe said.
The disciplinary case for the first accident is still to happen and is supposed to be finalised on 27 May.
The mayor was not suspended after the first case, because he was only facing allegations then.
Potwana has questioned why the investigation into the first incident had taken so long, as the outcome thereof could have been used to discipline the mayor and prevent the second incident.
[Photo: alleged second car – City Press]