Public Protector Probes Madibeng Mayor Over Crashed Municipal Bakkie on Private Farm

Residents call for answers as a municipal bakkie crash on a private farm sparks a deeper investigation into the Madibeng mayor’s office.

When an Isuzu municipal bakkie overturned near Madinyane village in September last year, it didn’t just crash into a ditch it slammed head-on into a storm of controversy that’s now circling Madibeng mayor Douglas Maimane.

The vehicle, photographed loaded with animals before it flipped, wasn’t being used for official business. In fact, it wasn’t even being driven by a municipal employee. The bakkie, registration KPX120NW was reportedly operating on Maimane’s private farm at the time. And now, with no answers from the mayor’s office and the municipality left unable to claim for the loss, the Public Protector has stepped in.

Behind the wheel: who gave the green light?

The incident has raised a flurry of uncomfortable questions. Municipal policy clearly outlines that official vehicles must be allocated and operated only by designated employees. But in this case, the driver was an outsider. The use was not just unauthorised, it was in clear breach of Madibeng’s own fleet rules.

Despite the seriousness of the crash, no formal report was filed by Maimane’s office, which had already been flagged before for previous issues with two other municipal bakkies that were grounded after suspected reckless driving. Now, this third vehicle is a total write-off, with no consequences for the individual who crashed it.

A call for accountability that starts with residents

It took a concerned local resident fed up with the silence to file a formal complaint with the Public Protector’s Mahikeng office. That citizen’s persistence has kicked off an official probe, and the watchdog is now investigating not only the misuse of the bakkie but also the domino effect of administrative failures that followed.

According to spokesperson Khulu Phasiwe, the Public Protector’s office is in the early stages of investigating why the mayor’s office failed to submit a report, which has left the municipality unable to recover the financial loss from insurers.

The investigation is also examining why the municipal manager didn’t escalate the fleet division’s report to the council speaker a necessary step for initiating oversight proceedings.

Whispers grow louder in Madibeng

Locals are no strangers to whispers of mismanagement in municipal structures, but this time the evidence — and the bakkie was hard to ignore. On social media, residents are voicing frustration over what they see as a culture of zero accountability.

“Every time there’s a scandal, it’s brushed under the rug,” tweeted one user. “Now we’re losing public assets on private farms and no one is taking responsibility?”

Others have asked if this is just the tip of the iceberg. If vehicles can be used privately and destroyed without consequence, what else is slipping through the cracks in Madibeng?

What happens next?

Mayoral spokesperson and chief of staff Senzo Ncongolo has promised a response soon, telling The Citizen that they are “engaged with council” and will address the matter.

But the pressure is building. As the Public Protector digs deeper, the hope among residents is that this isn’t just another investigation that fizzles out, but a real chance to hold officials accountable, not just for a single bakkie, but for the broader culture of carelessness it may represent.

For now, one thing is clear: in Madibeng, a crash on a farm has become more than just a damaged vehicle. It’s become a symbol of frustration, unanswered questions, and a demand for accountability from those in power.

{Source: The Citizen}

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