Cele denies government splurged millions of taxpayers’ money on parked cars

Police minister Bheki Cele has denied government splurged millions of taxpayers’ money on 100 parked cars, saying some of them have been “unleashed out there”. 

City Press reported over the weekend that the cars, including luxury sedans and SUVs, have been parked at the crime intelligence headquarters in Silverton, Pretoria, for over a year, and were losing value due to being exposed to the sun. 

The report is not true

Cele, briefing the media on the recent takedown’s successes of policing counter operations on Tuesday, said the report was not true and that the cars were part of the police’s efforts to fight crime.

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“That’s not true. Among those cars, there are 20 with very high tech [capabilities] on them, which have been part of the request to utilise from Parliament. That has passed now, and we are beginning to unleash some of these high-tech cars out there,” he said. 

Cele claimed the sources who spoke to the publication were unhappy for not being able to use the cars for their own personal use.

He said a new system was implemented to prevent the abuse of state resources, including cars. 

“Those cars go where they are supposed to go. Maybe those that used to drive those cars for (their) luxury and pleasure are feeling the pinch. Hence, they run to (the media) and report on stories that do not exist,” said Cele. 

AKA murder case

Cele said KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi informed him that there was progress in the AKA murder case. 

The rapper and his friend Tebello Motsoane were killed outside a Durban restaurant in February.  

“(The commissioner) said the cars have been, found people have been identified, and even the firearm that was used has been found. So, they are chasing (the killers) and are not very far off from dealing the final blow to this case.”

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Cele requested the public to give police time to finalise the case. He also urged police not to give in to the demand. 

“We would request that police are given the space and they themselves must resist the push that might end up breaking their case even before they achieve the proper investigation,” he said.