THE SAPS has over the past six years suffered losses amounting to approximately R42,67 million on petrol for its VIP Protection fleet.
The expenditure was disclosed by Police Minister Bheki Cele in a written response to Parliament.
A document reviewed by Daily Sun, dated 25 March, details allocation of funds across various provinces for the last five financial years, spanning from 1 March 2023 to 1 March 2024.
The National VIP Protection Centre in Gauteng emerged as the top spender for the 2023/24 period, with petrol costs exceeding R2,2 million. This is significantly higher than any other province.
Mpumalanga followed as the second-highest spender, with petrol expenses surpassing R1,1 million for the same timeframe.
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On the other hand, the National VIP in Western Cape reported the lowest expenditure, approximately R598 997.
The DA has criticised the government for what it deems wasteful expenditure.
DA's shadow minister of police, Andrew Whitfield, highlighted the government's excessive spending on VIP protection petrol amid South Africans grappling with a soaring cost of living and escalating petrol prices.
Whitfield accused ANC VIP cadres of exploiting taxpayer funds for personal benefits, particularly in Joburg, which is currently facing a severe water crisis.
“The ANC/EFF/PA-led doomsday coalition has forced through a R3 million monthly spending bump in their last budget to provide even more bodyguards and flashy cars to the mayor, speaker, and their cadres,” he said.
Whitfield condemned the "disproportionate funding" allocated to the SAPS VIP protection, arguing that it reflects the ANC's priority of safeguarding its politically connected members over addressing the needs of the South African populace.
