Times Of Swaziland: MINISTERS STOP USING BMW X5S

MINISTERS STOP USING BMW X5S
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BY MDUDUZI MAGAGULA on 10/07/2016 09:23:00


MBABANE – While government spent about E18 million purchasing luxurious BMW X5
sport utility vehicles (SUVs) for 18 ministers and Parliament presiding
officers, some ministers are no longer using these vehicles.
Some park them at home, while they use alternative transport in the Chevrolet
Trailblazers, which belong to government. This has raised questions from some
sectors, as ministers are said to be purposefully avoiding their state-provided
vehicles.
The critics believe the politicians are preserving the German cars, so that at
the end of their term of office, they will take them home still in sublime
condition. In accordance with Finance Circular No.2 of 2013, at the end of the
politicians’ term of office, they will be allowed to purchase the expensive
vehicles from government - at a depreciated value.
Not using them would result in them remaining in perfect condition while the
book value decreases. Some of the BMWs seen by the Times SUNDAY were so
‘new’ that their mileage was less than 15 000 kilometres.
This was despite the fact that they were delivered to them in 2014, which means
they have been using them for about two years now.
Investigations by the Times SUNDAY revealed that not all ministers were using
the BMWs.
At the Ministry of Tourism and Environmental Affairs, reporters found a
Chevrolet Trailblazer, parked adjacent to Minister Jabulani Mabuza’s
state-provided BMW X5. Some officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said
the minister was not using the Chevrolet. Instead, he used the BMW for official
business. They said the other car had been parked months ago and could not be
used by anyone else because it was regarded as the minister’s vehicle.
Reached for comment, Mabuza said he enjoyed using his BMW X5. He said he rarely
used the Chevrolet. He only uses it when his official vehicle goes for service.
After the breakfast meeting with editors last Thursday, Home Affairs Minister
Princess Tsandzile was using her BMW X5.
However, a Chevrolet Trailblazer, allocated to her ministry, was found parked at
her residence in Ezulwini, together with her other family cars.
When reporters enquired about the whereabouts of the minister, they were told
that she had gone to work in the capital city. On Thursday, ministers attended a
breakfast meeting with the media at the Mountain Inn in Mbabane.
Ministers Winnie Magagula and Dumisani Ndlangamandla, of Labour and Social
Security and Information, Communication and Technology respectively, were
chauffeured in Chevrolet Trailblazers with registrations GSD 034 CP and GSD 021
LS.