A member of Ntlo ya Dikgosi has raised concern over the government’s continued procurement of high-end vehicles for ministers and assistant ministers amid growing public scrutiny of state spending.
Kgosi Kachana of the North East Region questioned the rationale behind the purchase of luxury cars such as BMW sedans and Toyota Land Cruiser Prados for top government officials. He called on the Minister for State President, Moeti Mohwasa, to justify the practice and disclose the total expenditure over the past five financial years.
In response, Minister Mohwasa defended the acquisitions, stating that the selection of official vehicles is guided by Cabinet Directives and recommendations from ministries responsible for transport. He explained that the designated vehicles for ministers are BMW 740i sedans, while assistant ministers are issued BMW 530i sedans. Both ministers and assistant ministers also use Toyota Land Cruiser Prados.
Mohwasa revealed that the current BMW sedans were last purchased in 2017, and only one BMW 530i has been replaced since then due to an accident. The replacement, which occurred in 2024, cost government P1,020,255.61.
On the Toyota Prados, Mohwasa said the vehicles currently in use were first acquired in 2013. Over the years, some have been replaced after being involved in accidents or becoming uneconomical to repair. In the 2020/2021 financial year, five Prados were replaced at a cost of P3,504,261.12. In 2022/2023, three Prados were replaced for P2,670,518.80, and another three were replaced in 2023/2024 at a cost of P2,777,387.40.
The total amount spent on replacing the Prados over the past five financial years stands at P8,952,167.32. When combined with the cost of the BMW sedan replaced in 2024, the overall spending on high-end vehicles for top government officials exceeds P10.9 million.
