DA calls on education dept spokesperson to pay back VIP protection money

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng has demanded that Gauteng department of education spokesperson, Steve Mabona, pay back R865 058,98 paid by the department for his VIP protection.

The party said in a statement that the department did not have a policy in place to provide personal security and protection and that the money allocated was wasted by the department on Mabona’s VIP protection.

Ridiculous

The DA has argued the funds could have been used to fix school infrastructure and ensure a conducive learning and teaching environment for learners and teachers.

“It is ridiculous for the department to spend such an amount of money on one person who can afford to hire his own security for protection.

“The fact that the department has no policy to provide personal security and protection for staff members and that they paid for Mabona’s VIP protection means that he has unduly benefited at the expense of taxpayers. The DA demands that he must pay back the money to the department.”

The DA said it would monitor the matter to ensure that Mabona pays back the money, and that the department’s money is used for the benefit of the children’s education.

Death threats

However, head of the department, Edward Mosuwe has denied the DA’s claims.

In an interview with JacarandaFM, Mosuwe said Mabona did not have security currently.

Mabona had received death threats in 2022, which were submitted to the police commissioner.

“A security assessment was done by the SAPS and on the report we received, it was directed that we immediately put up 24-hour security around him and for three months the department put security around him,”Mosuwe was quoted as saying.

“After a period of three months, we then got a reassessment to determine if the threat was still there and when it was determined that the threat was no longer there, the security was then dismissed. So, allegations that he was wasting taxpayer’s money are not true. His life was at risk and the department acted accordingly.”  

The Citizen contacted Mabona for comment on Thursday afternoon but he was not able to provide one at the time of publishing.

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Oral response

Information on Mabona’s VIP security was revealed by the Gauteng MEC for Education, Matome Chiloane, in a written reply to the DA’s questions tabled in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature (GPL).

According to Matome, Mabona was provided with 399 trips totalling 19,427km. The VIP protection for Mabona included two guards, vehicles and operational costs.

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