Johannesburg – Limpopo Provincial Legislature Speaker Dr. Makoma Makurupete has publicly denied claims of extravagant spending after a media report alleged that over R6 million in public funds was used to purchase two luxury vehicles—one reportedly for her personal use. She has since called for a full investigation into the legislature’s vehicle procurement practices.
Responding to the claims, Makurupete dismissed the City Press report that accused her of bypassing National Treasury guidelines, which set a R1.2 million limit for official vehicle purchases. The Speaker emphasised she never requested a second vehicle and has, in fact, been using an older BMW X5 with substantial mileage.
“I was really shocked to hear that a car was allegedly bought for me, and I deny the R6.5 million expenditure,” she stated.
According to Makurupete, when she assumed office in June, the official vehicle of her predecessor had already exceeded its mileage limit, while the deputy speaker’s vehicle had been involved in an accident. As a result, a procurement process for new vehicles was already in progress when she and her deputy arrived.
Makurupete disclosed that the vehicle allocated to her cost R1.4 million, and the deputy speaker’s Mercedes-Benz was procured for R1.5 million. While both amounts exceed the National Treasury’s cap, she clarified that these acquisitions fall under the Financial Management of Parliament and Provincial Legislatures Act of 2009, not the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA), which governs other arms of government.
She has ordered a detailed review to determine whether the Treasury limit was breached and whether all procurement steps followed the correct legislative framework.
Adding to the controversy, Makurupete said she was recently informed about a third vehicle—allegedly linked to her office—that she has never seen. She is now awaiting a full report from the Secretary of the Legislature to clarify this issue.
“If it turns out that I was misled by the Secretary regarding the procurement of any vehicle, I will take decisive action,” she warned.
The Speaker also pointed to existing forensic audits within the legislature. These were initiated following the resignation of the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and the suspension of another finance official. She suggested that the negative reports surfacing now may be linked to resistance to internal reform.
Under growing public pressure, she’s compelled to address procurement irregularities that unfolded under her leadership—regardless of when they were initiated—and offered little in the way of justification, insisting only that fiscal responsibility would now be enforced
“We understand the importance of government savings and prudent spending. I will return to the media in 14 days with a full report from the Secretary,” she pledged.
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