The DA’s Tania Halse has accused the ANC’s mayor of Mantsope — a town of just 54 000 people — of splashing out on a swanky new Mercedes to the value of around R500 000.

This, while the town has defaulted on paying its power bill of R92 million, narrowly avoiding being cut off from the grid.

Read: 6 ministers treat themselves to 9 luxury SUV’s worth more than R7 million

“At a time when Eskom is threatening to cut electricity supply to Mantsopa due to non-payment of R92 million‚ the Mayor should be focused on saving every possible cent to spend on service delivery. A new Mercedes Benz is simply unacceptable,” Halse said on Sunday.

“The DA appeals to Mayor Tsoene to do the right thing and cancel the purchase of the vehicle. It is time to put the people first‚ and not the ANC’s own personal interests.”

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