Mayor justifies his spending on security

Update

PLETTENBERG BAY NEWS - While Bitou mayor Peter Lobese’s spending on personal security has been criticised – especially after assessments revealed no threat to his life – Lobese is adamant that a series of events, including the disappearance of three of his guard dogs, had made him believe otherwise.

Lobese came under fire after it was revealed that taxpayers were forking out more than R100 000 a month on home security alone, despite threat assessments finding no threat to his life.

The mayor earlier justified the spending saying that he truly believed his life was in danger following several unpopular decisions since taking office last year, including the termination of his coalition with the ANC and ending what he described as “corrupt tenders”.

He said he believed this had led to bitterness among some and that he even received death threats.

This week, Lobese said that another indication of threat was the mysterious disappearance of three of his guard dogs – a Rottweiler, a pit bull and a Jack Russel – from his Kwanokuthula home.

'Protection approved'
He said initially the municipality, under the ANC coalition, approved protection at his home, but that he later decided on a cheaper company to do the job.

This amounted to R106 020 a month for armed security at his home.

The Bitou mayor also received widespread criticism about his spending on a mayoral vehicle, in response to which he released a statement last week explaining the events that led to the rental of a luxury SUV.

Lobese was slated for spending just almost R60 000 a month on a Volvo SUV. In a statement by municipal manager Thabo Ndlovo it was revealed that this was a short-term rental following a “traumatic accident” with Lobese's official vehicle, a BMW sedan, while attending a funeral in Port Elizabeth.

The new Bitou mayoral car is similar to the vehicle Peter Lobese had before suffering extensive damages in an accident.

Ndlovo said that at the time of the accident Lobese had been travelling with his “protectors”. “All received medical care for shock and trauma following the crash.

Furthermore, the mayor took necessary sick leave to recover from the traumatic accident,” Ndlovo said in the statement.

He added that since the accident Lobese had been using a rental vehicle – the Volvo – “in line with the mayoral handbook and ministerial notice on upper limits for the remuneration of councillors”.

He further said the rental vehicle was procured using a legally compliant contract. “The temporary vehicle has been in use since August 11, 2017 with extensions after every 14 days. The rental term of the vehicle had to be renewed pending the outcome of the insurance claim.”

Ndlovo said the insurance claim had only been finalised on November 16, following “thorough but protracted investigations by the insurance company concerned”.

Same model and value
He said that a replacement official vehicle has now been procured. “The replacement car is the same model and of the same value as the previous official vehicle that was damaged in the car accident.”

Lobese said earlier that the BMW was about R15 000 to R18 000 a month.

“It is important to note that while it is common for executive mayors and leaders in all spheres of government to get luxurious vehicles with hefty price tags, this is not the case at Bitou municipality, which is a demonstration of Lobese’s commitment to forego unnecessary and luxurious perks in exercising his duty as the municipality’s first citizen, and instead channel the municipality’s resources to pursue the clean governance, and “pro-poor” agenda he has advocated since coming into office,” Ndlovo said.

He further said that with the delivery of the replacement official car, Lobese was confident that he would now “close the painful chapter of the accident that momentarily threatened to derail his work and commitment to serve the people of Bitou municipality”.

The spending has elicited widespread criticism including from his former coalition partners, the ANC, who condemned the “exorbitant” spending by Lobese and his new coalition partners the DA.

KPH approached the DA for comment and although councillors said they did not want to become involved in “political mudslinging”, councillor Bill Nel said the issues which the ANC had been complaining about had been decisions taken during their coalition with Lobese.

Read previous stories:

Read the full story in Thursdays' Knysna-Plett Herald, as well as online.

ARTICLE: YOLANDÉ STANDER, KNYSNA-PLETT HERALD CORRESPONDENT

'We bring you the latest Plettenburg Bay, Garden Route news'