Minority Front leader Amichand Rajbansi has withdrawn a legislature question asking KwaZulu-Natal MECs to disclose their "exorbitant" cellphone and vehicle mileage claims, apparently after coming under political pressure to do so.
The MECs' claims are said to run into thousands of rands, with some alleged to be selectively using a provision that allows them to claim much more per kilometre when using their private vehicles for official purposes.
Their other option is to use state cars - and not claim anything. Most are said to have chosen the first option which, according to an official, had financial benefits as they could make a profit.
One MEC is said to have claimed close to R200 000 in a financial year.
MECs' cellphone and mileage claims have become some of the best kept secrets in the provincial legislature, which only Auditor-General Barry Wheeler can ask for. So far, he has not questioned MECs' claims.
When Rajbansi asked the question, he set the cat among the pigeons, with the executive council discussing the matter for almost an hour - although it was not on the agenda.
A source said nervous MECs had tried to suppress Rajbansi's question for fear it would "embarrass" some whose claims were excessive. He said two MECs had been mandated to persuade Rajbansi to drop the question.
Rajbansi denied this, saying he had withdrawn it only to prove he was not targeting a specific MEC.
"But I will re-submit the question," he said, explaining that his actions were aimed at getting a clear picture of MECs' claims in comparison with those of the provincial Speaker, IFP MPL Blessed Gwala, whose cellphone bill totalled R65 000 over 11 months.
