Mobility MEC Ricardo Mackenzie has questioned the number of cars in a fleet of brand-new 3-Series BMWs intended for law enforcement that have been parked at the Gene Louw Traffic College in Brackenfell since October.
Also read: 110 BMWs bought by the Western Cape Government stand idle
As part of the province’s replacement fleet, 50 BMW cars were parked at the college on Sunday, according to Mackenzie, for storage and to make room at the Government Motor Transport (GMT) facility in Maitland.
The MEC told IOL that the lack of use of the vehicles was a result of delays brought on by the tendering process for the application of reflective marking, branding, and technological installation.
The cars’ reflective markings are visible in a photograph of them.
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Lulama Mvimbi, a provincial ANC mobility spokesperson, asserted that the fleet consisted of 110 vehicles.
Several of the cars, according to him, were in Brackenfell, while the majority were at the Government Garage in Maitland.
‘It is rather interesting that MEC Mackenzie only mentions 50 vehicles when we all know that in total, there are 110 vehicles that are sitting idle.
‘So what is happening to the other 60 vehicles? We will pose follow-up questions to the MEC about the details of the tender process he is talking about.’
The questionable cars were purchased from the face-lifted BMW 3 Series, which was put on sale in South Africa last year. Prices for the models range from the entry-level 318i, which starts at R767 894, to the 320d, which starts at R880 768.
The department started getting the cars ready for use in the field of traffic law enforcement as soon as they were purchased and delivered, according to Mackenzie.
In this process, reflective markings and branding were installed, modern emergency lights and sirens were installed, and in-vehicle technology, like number plate recognition camera solutions, which the manufacturer’s approval was required, was also used.
‘BMW advised the department that certain components that had been approved for previous models would no longer meet their standards for retaining their warranty on the new models.
‘This required GMT to embark on a tender process to procure the new fittings rather than risk losing the warranty.’
While this delay was unavoidable and regrettable, according to Mackenzie, the choice to install the proper equipment after adhering to the established tendering procedure could not be criticised.
Malvern de Bruyn, the provincial secretary for Cosatu, claimed that the federation had a pessimistic view of the situation and had demanded an investigation.
‘We demand an investigation immediately to ascertain the facts and for the responsible parties to be held accountable,’ De Bruyn said.
‘These vehicles could be used on our roads for effective traffic use and law enforcement.
‘We are calling on the premier and the MEC to be transparent with 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.’
GOOD party MPL Peter De Villiers said it was shocking that Law Enforcement and Metro Officers are left incapacitated as 50 BMW motor vehicles remain out of commission for over six months because they did not meet the specifications.
He urged Premier Alan Winde to launch a forensic investigation into how the vehicles that were found to be unfit for use were acquired.
‘If this was corruption then the forensic investigation will expose it and the Hawks must act. If this was incompetence then heads should roll,’ De Villiers said.
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