KwaZulu-Natal MEC of education Kwazi Mshengu took his “faulty” Mercedes-Benz to a dealership for a check-up three days after the Sunday Times exposed his use of a R100,000-a-month hired car.
Mercedes-Benz SA revealed that Mshengu’s car was taken to the Garden City Motors dealership in Pietermaritzburg only last Wednesday — six months after the MEC was advised not to use the vehicle by his officials.
It is not clear who at Mercedes-Benz had advised his office that the car was not safe before last Wednesday as the German car maker distanced itself from a letter Mshengu’s office claimed was from Mercedes-Benz SA.
Corporate affairs manager for Mercedes-Benz SA Thato Mntambo said “on November 13 2019, the vehicle was brought in to Garden City Motors’ Pietermaritzburg dealership, with several complaints”.
Mntambo confirmed that an independent investigator was appointed to conduct an investigation into the complaints.
She also confirmed that Mercedes-Benz SA offered the department of education a courtesy vehicle while the investigation was undertaken.
“The investigation revealed that the vehicle had suffered damage due to external influence; which damage is specifically excluded from cover under the Mercedes-Benz warranty and premium drive maintenance plan.
“Based on the above, the warranty & premium drive maintenance contract has been cancelled until such time that the vehicle is repaired to Mercedes-Benz standards,” Mntambo explained.
It is not known what kind of damage was discovered — which was not picked up when the car was taken to the dealership last month with a flat battery.
