50 Governmental vehicles 'collecting dust' in Western Cape

Fifty brand new BMW vehicles, bought in 2022, by the Western Cape Government, has not yet been used.

In a statement, the provincial government confirmed on Sunday that these vehicles are currently at the Gene Louw Traffic College in Brackenfell while the tender process is completed to obtain the equipment that BMW prescribes

The vehicles were procured towards the end of 2022 from the National RT57 State contract, which

According to Western Cape’s Mobility MEC, Ricardo Mackenzie, certain equipment that was accepted for previous models no longer meets BMW's requirements to maintain the warranty for the cars.

Mackenzie says the vehicles were procured towards the end of 2022 from the National RT57 State contract, which is used by all three spheres of government, to replace the existing, ageing fleet and to meet added transport demands.

He added that the parked cars are at Government Motor Transport (GMT) facility in Maitland, to ‘free up space.’

‘’The Department’s Government Motor Transport (GMT) Trading Entity, which is responsible for the procurement of fit-for-purpose vehicles for all Western Cape departments as well as a few national entities, chose to procure the vehicles before the end of the 2022 calendar year in order to avoid the annual price increases that came into effect in the new year,’’ said Ricardo Mackenzie, Western Cape’s Mobility MEC. 

He added that the process of equipping all the cars is already well advanced and is being handled with urgency.

Over the weekend, EWN reported that 110 BMWs were bought for R94 million, some of which are at the state garage.

By Monday evening, the department had not yet answered inquiries about the number of vehicles and their costs.

Cosatu in the Western Cape said on Monday that it is shocked by the news and wants an investigation to be conducted.

‘’COSATU condemns this wasteful expenditure and demands an investigation immediately to ascertain the facts and for the responsible parties to be held accountable. What is more disconcerting is the fact that no one wants to take responsibility for this act,’’ said Malvern De Bruyn, COSATU WC Secretary-General.

‘’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,’’ he added.

De Bruyn called on Western Cape Premier, Alan Winde, as well as Mobility MEC, Ricardo Mackenzie to be transparent with residents.

‘’We are calling on the Premier and the MEC to be transparent to the residents of the Western Cape about the circumstances around this, intended use of these vehicles and steps to be taken to deal with the responsible persons.’’

 

Done By: Mitchum George