The eThekwini Municipality has opened an internal investigation after a video went viral showing one of its employees sleeping in a municipal vehicle, with a beer bottle also seen in the car.
The eThekwini city manager Musa Mbhele said he was shocked and appalled by the incident which was believed to be filmed from the Watercrest Shopping Mall in Kloof at around 2pm on Friday.
The video was recorded by a concerned member of the public who did not identify themselves, but who appeared to be driven to expose the behaviour of the city employee who was fast asleep throughout the 95 second video.
The man is heard saying: “I want to show you your eThekwini Municipality money at work. This is the vehicle, and please note the driver.”
In the video a man believed to be a municipal employee is seen sleeping, his body slumped almost out of the vehicle, with the driver’s side door open.
There appears to be a bottle of alcohol next to him and the man recording the video also indicates that the keys are still in the ignition.
“Not the best parking of this vehicle either, suggestive of the fact that he has been driving this vehicle intoxicated,” the man says.
In a statement, Durban’s municipal manager, Mbhele, said service delivery was an apex priority for the city and bemoaned the abuse of council resources.
“The abuse of municipal resources under any circumstances, and in any way, shape or form, will not be accepted,” he lamented.
The city said the municipal vehicle in the viral video is currently safely parked in the parks depot.
“However, as a matter of principle, the municipality does not discuss internal investigations and does not discuss employer-employee related matters with a third party.”
IOL News