Keetmans under fire over N$391 000 monthly vehicle rentals

The Keetmanshoop municipality is paying N$391 000 a month on renting 26 vehicles, including a Mercedes-Benz for the mayor, despite struggling financially. This has attracted criticism from municipal councillors who are calling the expenditure “absurd and a waste of resources”. Acting chief executive Desiree Boois last month said the municipality has opted to rent vehicles because of “outright purchase cash flow constraints and continued community service delivery requirements”.

She said the municipality is renting about 26 vehicles from Avis Fleet at a monthly fee of about N$391 080, excluding value-added tax. Boois said the rental agreement, signed on 17 July 2017, runs for five years. She confirmed that one of the rented vehicles is a Mercedes-Benz assigned to Keetmanshoop mayor Melody Swartbooi.

Swapo councillor for the town Emrico Blaauw last week said the vehicle rental arrangement is “absurd”. He said the municipality’s priorities were misplaced. “You don’t spend what you don’t have,” he said.