ActionSA slams R3.7bn GNU spend on protection services

ActionSA has once again called out what it believes to be excessive expenditure by the Government of National Unity (GNU), this time over protection services.

Through parliamentary questions, it was revealed that government spent R3.7 billion on protecting the Presidency, ministers, their deputies, international guests and traditional leaders over the past financial year.

This is more than the budget for dealing with organised crime.

ActionSA said it is outrageous that the expenditure on VIP protection services in the first year of the GNU significantly exceeded the R2.4 billion allocated to the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, the Hawks.

Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia revealed in his parliamentary reply that over the past year, R2.29 billion was spent on VIP protection services and a further R1.42 billion on static protection.

ActionSA members of Parliament (MP) Alan Beesley said his party is concerned these figures were expected to grow in the coming years and could well exceed R4 billion in this financial year.

“It is clear that the priorities of the GNU is to expand the perks of the bloated Cabinet and political elite rather than combatting corruption and crime. This is a serious indictment on the GNU,” he said.

ActionSA said it hopes to put a stop to executive waste through a bill it introduced last year aimed at cutting Cabinet perks.