Quinton Mtyala
A DA councillor and regional youth leader in the Southern Cape has been drawing a transport allowance from the municipality even though he does not have a driver's licence – a precondition for receiving the allowance.
This emerged when Tertius Simmers, 30, was arrested outside the council's offices in George for failing to produce a driver's licence when stopped by traffic officers. The ANC is now baying for blood, demanding a full investigation into how he was allowed to claim 25% of his total remuneration as a travel allowance.
His arrest has thrown into question the Eden District Municipality's internal systems, with council speaker Doris Nayler acknowledging councillors were being paid a transport allowance each month, even those not in possession of driver's licences. The municipality would look into the "confusion" and act if there was evidence this was against the law, she said.
Simmers said he was only in possession of a learner's licence. He said he had not committed any fraud and he was simply being reimbursed for the use of his vehicle for council duties.
He claimed he was being targeted by people in the council's administration because he had exposed corruption, and had stopped driving.
