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The Moqhaka Local Municipality is facing significant financial losses due to its reliance on hiring Yellow Fleet vehicles instead of repairing or procuring new ones. This practice of outsourcing jobs to contractors, even for basic tasks like changing street light bulbs or removing refuse, results in inflated prices and unnecessary expenses. The vehicles owned by the municipality are either broken or outdated, leaving contractors as the preferred option despite their higher costs.

Over the past few years, the Democratic Alliance (DA) has consistently raised this issue in Technical Portfolio meetings with Directors and Managers, emphasising the urgent need for a functional fleet. The municipality's lack of Yellow Fleet vehicles hampers various operations, including the availability of cherry pickers, crane trucks, TLBs, refuse compactors, and more. Many of the existing vehicles are over 9 years old, with some dating back 20 years or more. Parts for these vehicles are scarce, leading to extended periods of workshop downtime exceeding six months.

The current situation is far from sustainable, with the municipality spending millions on hiring vehicles, including R10 million per quarter for refuse removal alone. This approach not only drains the limited budget but also leaves staff idle due to vehicle shortages, perpetuating the reliance on contractors. The technical service departments are experiencing a high vacancy rate of 50-65%.

The DA has provided quotes for new vehicles, yet the preference for hiring remains. The DA calls on the municipality to prioritise purchasing or repairing its own fleet to ensure cost-effective and efficient service delivery. Investing in functional vehicles will enable the municipality to save significant amounts in the long run, improve planning, and optimize the use of resources within the constrained budget.

Issued by Chris Dalton - DA Councillor Moqhaka Local Municipality