Action Society slams police minister’s R2bn VIP protection budget

Civil rights organisation Action Society has joined the chorus of criticism for new Police Minister Senzo Mchunu’s budget.

Action Society, whose volunteers assist victims of crime when seeking justice at court, laid into Mchunu’s R2 billion set aside for VIP protection services, saying this money could be better spent elsewhere.

Last week, Mchunu outlined his department’s safety and security priorities when he presented the 2024/2025 financial year budget in Parliament.

He revealed that the South African Police Service (Saps) has been allocated R113.5 billion, while the Civilian Secretariat for Police Service and the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) have received R155.9 million and R370.5 million, respectively.

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Allocated to ‘silence citizens’

While crime intelligence received R4.74 billion, the police’s protection and security services were allocated a total of R4.09 billion, of which R2.17 billion (53.1%) goes to the VIP protection unit.

This is 1.91% of the entire Saps budget.

“The National Coloured Congress cannot support this budget. It cannot support a budget that allocates more to the protection of 72 VIPs than to crime intelligence. It is unthinkable,” NCC leader Fadiel Adams said.

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Action Society agreed, condemning the allocation in a statement on Tuesday.

“South Africans fear for their lives everyday with more than 80 people being killed daily and 135 reported rapes. This money should be spent on keeping South Africans safe, not providing ministers luxury special services at the cost of the taxpayer,” said Action Society’s Juanita du Preez.

“Not only is this a shameless waste of taxpayers’ money, but we have seen how protection services have been abused in the past.

“Under Bheki Cele’s leadership we saw the protection unit beat and harass civilians in broad daylight with little to no consequence.

“A year after the blue light mafia eight assaulted civilians on a highway in Gauteng, the disciplinary process isn’t even finished and all eight are still in the police service.

“Is this unit going to be funded to intimidate South Africans and allow the police to silence her citizens?”

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Du Preez was referring to the assault case against eight Saps VIP protection officers who had been assigned to Deputy President Paul Mashatile when they were caught on video beating civilians on the side of the N1 highway, near Fourways.

Action Society demanded that the budget allocation to VIP services be revised as soon as possible and that violence against women and children are prioritised.

Additional reporting by Molefe Seeletsa.