Durban - An ANC candidate for ward councillor in the eThekwini metro has been accused of abusing state resources, and is allegedly being driven around in municipal vehicles while campaigning for next month’s local government elections.
Faith Mjekevu is running in the coming elections as a candidate for Ward 107. A new ward in terms of demarcation, it includes sections of Ntuzuma, Ezimanagweni and Newtown B.
Mjekevu has allegedly been seen in two municipal vehicles. She declined to comment when contacted and referred The Mercury’s queries to the city.
“Please go back to the people who told you about this and the city. ANC policy does not allow me to speak to the media - I’m a loyal cadre. I can’t help you,” she said.
The ANC in the province said on Thursday that it was not aware of the allegations and directed questions to the eThekwini region which The Mercury was unable to reach at the time of publishing.
Municipal head of communications Tozi Mthethwa said: “The city has not assigned any councillor candidate a municipal vehicle. These allegations will be investigated.”
Opposition parties said what was alleged was a clear abuse of state resources and violation of municipal regulations.
“The fact that she’s being driven around in city cars suggests that she’s abusing council resources. She’s being driven around in two city-registered and branded vehicles,” said a source who asked not to be identified.
The source said the cars were two Toyota Tazz’s - one with “City Fleet” under the municipality’s logo.
“It’s quite strange that she is being chauffeured because she is not even a councillor yet - she’s just the ANC ward candidate. We don’t even know why she’s been given the resources because there’s no known danger on her life.”
The source said if there was a threat to Mjekevu, then it was the ANC that should be footing the bill and not the city.
IFP councillor Mdu Nkosi said if the reports were true, it would be totally wrong and a direct abuse of municipal resources.
“There is nothing that says a candidate for municipal council must receive protection from the municipality. There is a process followed; even if a councillor needs to be protected, there is a security assessment that needs to be done. Those responsible for councillors should have asked when that security assessment was done.” Nkosi said if one of the vehicles were involved in an accident, there would be some explaining to do.
“It is okay for a party to protect its members, but it cannot use state resources. This means one of two things: that the coming leadership is intent on misusing state resources, or that municipal employees are under pressure to implement wrong things.”
DA leader Zwakele Mncwango said the issue bordered on criminal conduct and whoever had authorised it should be charged.
“The candidate is just an ordinary member of the public. Does this mean the municipality will give protection to every ordinary member of the public? They have no authority to do that.”
Mncwango said there were already issues of money being spent on security services - the municipality had spent “more than half a billion rand” on security.
“We have written to the city manager to ask who authorised this; this is abuse of state resources and we will never sit back while money meant for service delivery is being abused.”
The Mercury