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The DA in eThekwini questions the alleged use of millions of rands on advanced street sweeper vehicles which have been relegated to parked, unused white elephants.

Acting on a tipoff, we have written to the municipality’s Head of City Fleet, Malcom Joshua, to request further details and accountability on the purchase of advanced street sweeper vehicles, to an alleged tune of millions of Rands worth of taxpayers’ money.

To date, since being procured for use along the Durban beachfront Promenade by the Cleansing and Solid Waste (CSW) unit, formerly Durban Solid Waste (DSW), the machines are yet to hit the ground.

Intel received by a credible source within CSW suggests the vehicles are a wrong fit and not suitable for local use. It is also alleged that no training has been provided to help employees operate the street sweepers. It’s also become apparent that the fate of these costly machines has been to be simply dumped with CSW.

The DA has had sight of these vehicles and can confirm that they were abandoned and left to collect dust at the CSW’s head office in Springfield Park, along Electron Road (see pictures here and here). The condition of the vehicles is visibly deteriorating whilst they have never achieved their purpose.

The ANC-EFF co-governance has pushed eThekwini into financial mayhem. While this latest situation may be just another day in the office for them, the DA sees these allegations in the serious light they deserve to be seen in.

As indicated, the DA in eThekwini has put forward questions to Malcom, Head of City Fleet, and we expect nothing less than a clear account relating to the purchasing of these vehicles, precise expenditure amount and accountability measures, among other things.

The DA has been promised to be furnished with the relevant answers by no later than the end of next week, and we intend to ensure we follow up on this.

This is another series of spectacular examples of how the ANC-EFF partnership continues to result in the complete waste of taxpayers' money in the city while the state of eThekwini continues to deteriorate at a speed, resulting in the near-total collapse of waste collection and management in the once glorified metro.

Issued by Cllr Mzamo Billy - DA eThekwini Deputy Caucus Leader