File picture: Andrew Ingram
THE SAPS spent R42.6 million on petrol and diesel for vehicles operated by the VIP protection services in the past six years.
SAPS spent R42.6 million on petrol and diesel for vehicles operated by the VIP protection services in the past six years.
Police Minister Bheki Cele disclosed that SAPS spent R42.6 million on petrol and diesel for vehicles operated by the VIP protection services in the past six years.
Cele was responding to parliamentary questions from DA MP Andrew Whitfield after he enquired about the total amount spent by SAPS VIP Services on petrol and diesel from 2018/19 to 2023/24.
Cele’s response revealed that SAPS spent R42,676,117 during the six-year period. The breakdown of cost according to provinces over the period is as follows:
• National VIP Gauteng, R8,689,511.
• Mpumalanga, R4,826,007.
• KwaZulu-Natal, R4,796,271.
• National VIP Western Cape, R4,687,920.
• Free State, R3,795,287.
• Gauteng, R3,584,480.
• North West, R3,203,357.
• Limpopo, R2,428,091.
• Northern Cape, R2,283,186.
• Western Cape, R1,165,781.
• Eastern Cape, R1,077,173.
Whitfield said that while South Africans were suffering from the crushing cost of living, including higher fuel prices, ANC VIP cadres took the taxpayers for a ride without having to put their hands in their pockets.
He said the ANC just recently increased the SAPS VIP Protection allocation in the mid-term budget by over R52 million.
“In fact, the budget allocation for these services has increased by over 25% over the last five years. Other SAPS spending programmes were not so lucky, with Crime Intelligence Operations increasing only by 11.5%, and the entire Crime Prevention programme by a dismal 12.4%,” he said.
He said the disproportionate funding to SAPS VIP Protection proved that the ANC only cared about protecting their own politically-connected cadres, rather than the people of South Africa.
“Additional resources will be freed up by slashing the bloated SAPS middle millionaire management, who make no contribution to fighting crime.”
Anti-crime activist Roegshanda Pascoe said the budget for the VIP fuel, in a country where citizens are going hungry and the cost of living has risen exponentially, is devastating.
“They expect us to accept this budget that was allocated for VIP protection. Why do these VIPs need so much state security?
“That could be allocated to services for the citizens who desperately need it. We have been very vocal about this before where funds have been given to massive enforcements to protect VIPs while people are being shot and killed in their communities.
“How can a citizen accept this is not for their protection or protection of our children?
“Police have one ambit and that is to serve and protect the citizens of this country.”