The Moqhaka Local Municipality has stated that it is its priority to step up service delivery, and to pay serious attention, especially to the water and sanitation issues in the municipality, and curb the water losses and sewerage spillages in the jurisdiction of the municipality.
As part of this action plan, the municipality has bought eight new long wheelbase vehicles to improve service delivery.
The first four bakkies arrived in July and the last four were delivered on 1 August.
The vehicles will be utilised at Viljoenskroon, Steynrus and Kroonstad to speed up service delivery regarding water and sanitation.
Some councillors from opposition parties are very unhappy because of the process followed to buy the vehicles and the fact that these were not purchased from a local car dealer in Kroonstad. The bakkies were bought at the Government Garage.
“Although the eight new bakkies bought by the Aacting Mmunicipal Mmanager, AAdvocate Mzwakhe Mofokeng, is essential to service delivery in Moqhaka, this was done without prior approval by the council. This is once again proof that the lack of proper planning results in reactive measures that are against regulations and financial discipline as prescribed by law,” says Sidney Pittaway,Cllr. councillor at the Moqhaka Municipality.
Dika Kheswa, spokesperson for Moqhaka, says that buying the bakkies was a matter of urgency and could not be subjected a lengthy tender process.
The municipality had an option to buy bakkies from the Government Garage at a reasonable price. He said that in less urgent cases the normal tender process would be followed and local car dealers would be allowed to tender.
