“Wrong priorities”: Fury as cash-strapped eMalahleni eyes R1.5m cars for politicians

A proposal that hit a nerve

In eMalahleni, where residents are used to water interruptions, electricity problems and battered roads, the idea of politicians driving vehicles worth R1.5 million has landed like a slap in the face.

The financially distressed municipality is facing a storm of criticism after its municipal manager, Sizwe Mayisela, revealed during a council meeting that he plans to recommend increasing the vehicle purchase threshold for political office bearers from R700 000 to R1.5 million.

The timing just months before local government elections, has only intensified the outrage.

“Extravagance in a town that’s struggling”

Opposition parties and analysts were quick to respond, calling the proposal out of touch and deeply irresponsible.

The African People’s Convention (APC) leader Themba Godi described the plan as shocking, arguing that it benefits politicians rather than the people they are meant to serve.

According to Godi, eMalahleni’s reality tells a different story: struggling infrastructure, unpaid creditors and basic services that regularly fail communities.

“What’s the logic of raising the threshold now?” he asked. “Why not let the next council decide?”

DA flags process and legality concerns

The Democratic Alliance has also taken a firm stand against the proposal, with councillor Maureen Scheepers saying the recommendation was sprung on council without proper notice.

She pointed out that the proposal did not appear on the official agenda, nor was a special sitting called to debate a decision with serious financial implications.

Beyond process, the DA argues the plan directly contradicts the Municipal Cost Containment Regulations, which cap vehicle spending for political office bearers at R700 000.

Scheepers added that eMalahleni is already under a financial recovery plan and routinely fails to pay creditors on time making any increase in luxury spending impossible to justify.

Analysts: Cars don’t fix potholes

Political analyst Goodenough Mashego summed up what many residents have been saying online: expensive cars don’t improve service delivery.

In WhatsApp groups and community forums, locals questioned how the municipality could justify luxury vehicle purchases while struggling to keep the lights on and water running.

For many, the proposal symbolises a broader frustration with local government, where austerity is preached to communities, but rarely practised by leaders.

A deeper disconnect

Professor Theo Neethling from the University of the Free State says the controversy exposes a growing gap between political elites and everyday life in municipalities like eMalahleni.

He argues that the proposal undermines the constitutional idea of developmental local government, where resources are meant to uplift communities, not entrench privilege.

“It sends a message that sacrifices are for residents, not for those in power,” Neethling said.

Calls for intervention grow louder

With criticism mounting, voices across the political spectrum are urging the provincial government to step in and block what they describe as an unnecessary and damaging move.

Whether the recommendation goes any further remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: in a municipality battling to stay afloat, the optics of R1.5 million cars have struck a raw nerve and reminded residents exactly why trust in local government remains so fragile.

{Source: IOL}

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