6th December, 2008, Page 3 - Edition 200

The Midlands Herald

Page 3 — December 2008

Vilakazi to face six charges “I’m confident that I will win this case again” Left: uMngeni municipal manager, Dumisani Vilakazi.

uMngeni municipality manager Dumisani Vilakazi’s case involving six charges against him has been set down for trial on 13th February, including five new charges added to that of driving under the influence of alcohol — resisting arrest, assault, failing to obey the instructions of a traffic officer, malicious damage to property and refusal to take a breathalyser test.

uMngeni’s fuel-saving elicits suspicion

Interviewed by The Witness following a car accident on 2nd August 2008, Mr Vilakazi expressed confidence that he once again would get off his drunken driving charge in the courts. He had denied that his previous arrest and the present one are damaging his reputation. “This won’t damage my reputation, because I’m confident that I will win this case again,” he said. As Mr Vilakazi was driving on the southbound lane of the N3 he rammed into the back of a heavy vehicle and his car became wedged under it. When the car was finally extricated, the whole bonnet was left stuck under the truck. Following the accident on the N3 near the Mooi River Toll Plaza, a traffic officer allegedly smelt alcohol as he was helping Mr Vilakazi from his vehicle. Mr Vilakazi is said to have refused to comply when asked to take

Above and above right: uMngeni Municipality’s municipal manager, Dumisani Vilakazi wrote off his Mercedes Benz near Mooi River on 2nd August 2008. When it was extricated from the rear of the truck into which he crashed, the bonnet remained stuck under the vehicle (photo on right).

a breathalyser test. He was first put into an ambulance for a medical check-up but was transferred to a police van in handcuffs since he was resisting arrest. According to an officer on the scene, it took five men to subdue him and once in the back of the police van, he proceeded continually to kick at the door. Mr Vilakazi was taken to an Estcourt doctor to have his blood tested for alcohol,

as the traffic officers were said to have feared that if they took him to a Howick doctor, he might interfere with the test results. In 2003, traffic police of uMngeni — Mr Vilakazi’s own staff — caught him driving under the influence of alcohol. In 2007, he was acquitted after the court found he was not driving on the night of the arrest. He claimed that his companion, who was believed to be under age, was the driver.

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ews of uMngeni Municipality’s reduction of its monthly fuel bill by a whopping 43% in just one month may sound like very good news, but it’s aroused suspicion too. DA councillor Pam Passmoor discovered this saving when comparing the August and September Fleet Management reports. She told The Herald that in normal circumstances a municipality saving R100 000 for its ratepayers would be admirable, but the fact that even the refuse removal trucks, with no change of routine, had reduced their fuel consumption by 50% was suspicious. “I’m at a loss, for example,” she said, “to imagine how a Honey Sucker responsible for emptying septic tanks, with a 60% reduction in fuel consumption, could have been used for other than legitimate service. “Since I doubt that it could have been used as a taxi, I suspect that the driver’s petrol cards are being abused.” In the Management Cluster Committee meeting of 15th October, the fleet controller confirmed her suspicions by stating that they were aware of suspected fraudulent activities and had removed the garage cards from the staff. They stressed that the garage and not the staff

HiQ

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