By Staff Reporter
POLOKWANE – Limpopo Provincial Legislature Speaker Makoma Makhurupetje has distanced herself from claims that she spent over R6 million of taxpayers’ money on two luxury vehicles in under seven months.
In an official statement issued by the Legislature, the allegations—first published by media houses on 25 May 2025—were labelled as “baseless, incorrect and misleading.”
According to the Legislature, the vehicles in question replaced older official cars used by the former Speaker and Deputy Speaker, which had exceeded 150,000 km, posing a security risk.
The new vehicles were procured in line with the guidelines adopted in April 2022 under the “Guide on the Provision of Support to the Executive Authority.”
“The Speaker and Deputy Speaker do not have two cars each, as falsely stated in the article.
The procurement process followed policy guidelines, and the former vehicles were no longer viable,” the statement read.
The Legislature also slammed the publication for allegedly violating the Press Code by not verifying facts before publication. “It is damaging for a journalist to report on matters of policy without proper understanding,” the statement continued. It confirmed that a formal complaint will be lodged with the Press Ombudsman and City Press.
Makhurupetje has previously faced similar scrutiny. In 2016, she was accused by the DA of authorizing luxury vehicle purchases for Greater Tzaneen Municipality leadership, despite financial constraints. She denied any wrongdoing at the time, and maintains her commitment to transparency and ethical leadership.
In light of the current allegations, Makhurupetje has directed the Accounting Officer to conduct an internal investigation and provide a detailed report.
