Solly Msimanga, the new mayor of Tshwane, has released a statement promising that luxury cars for the city’s politicians are a thing of the past.
“I will not allow public money to be spent on luxury cars, while our people struggle for services, houses and jobs,” Msimanga said in an official statement.
“No more luxury cars will be bought or leased under my government. A Hyundai i20 or Toyota Corolla can do the same job for a politician as an expensive sedan,” he said.
Msimanga added that when vehicles currently owned by the city of Tshwane needed to be replaced, “sensible and low-cost” alternatives would be procured.
The statement also revealed that the mayor had “uncovered” the procurement of new luxury BMWs for the city’s politicians, “paid out of public money by the previous administration”. Msimanga revealed that he would redirect these ten new vehicles, which “have high-capacity engine power”, to the Tshwane Metro Police Department, where they would serve in a newly formed anti-hijack unit.
“Rather than using luxury vehicles for politicians, we will use them for a new unit in the Metro Police to prevent and respond to hijackings and high-speed chases because the vehicles have powerful engines and can be used for fast-response. This puts the needs of people first, and not the needs of politicians first,” Msimanga said.