Question: How can 80 ambulances worth R48m disappear without a trace?

SHOOT: Answer is simple. An ambulance is the perfect chassis for a mini-bus taxi. Take one and sell it. You don't get caught, take another one, or two, or three. It's taxpayers money. Who cares.

clipped from www.sowetan.co.za THE Emergency Medical Services in Limpopo are in a fix – after 80 of its ambulances have disappeared without a trace. This damning allegation will form part of an internal investigation into whether Bim Kerupashad, manager of EMS, and head of administration services Herbert Phaahla sold the ambulances and pocketed the money. The two men were suspended three months ago over allegations of financial mismanagement. In 2007 the province bought 100 new ambulances at a cost of R60million. But 80 of the ambulances have since disappeared. But an administration official said yesterday it was “still” investigating the disappearance of the ambulances and would not comment further. Another source said that one of the implicated officials, who earns a salary of about R191000 a year, which translates to about R16000 a month, owns “three luxury cars”. The official apparently owns a BMW, a Mercedes-Benz and a Discovery.