Durban - THE KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) department of agriculture says it does not know the number of people who were in its branded vehicle which was impounded when it was spotted driving into oncoming traffic on the N3.
The vehicle was spotted by a top provincial government official, who swung into action.
Dr Nonhlanhla Mkhize, the provincial director-general, stopped the state-branded vehicle and called law enforcement authorities, according to a statement by KZN government spokesperson Lennox Mabaso on Sunday night.
The agriculture department thanked Mkhize and her entourage for their “prompt” action in intercepting the illegal use of its vehicles by staff outside working hours.
Department spokesperson Mack Makhathini said the incident was under investigation.
“All necessary disciplinary measures will be applied to those found responsible to have committed such misdemeanours. The department has taken urgent actions to mitigate such events taking place in the future,” Makhathini said.
He said the department was installing a comprehensive fleet management strategy that would assist the department in ensuring better tracking of each driver.
Mabaso said Mkhize had forced the state vehicle to a stop and alerted law enforcement authorities who impounded the car. The vehicle is being held at the Road Traffic Inspectorate facility in Pinetown.
“Dr Mkhize has instructed the provincial department of agriculture to launch an immediate investigation into the matter and to establish whether the officials had permission to use the state vehicle. The provincial government is clamping down on the abuse of state assets and resources which causes serious reputational damage to the government,” Mabaso said.
Mkhize said: “We’re committed to an ethical state where state officials are civil and are servants of the people.
“We’re creating a law-abiding society. Therefore, any form of abuse of state resources is against the ethos of a clean and corruption-free government.”