Taxpayers have spent almost R170m on police VIP protection since 2020
This was revealed by suspended police minister Senzo Mchunu in response to a written parliamentary question by Rise Mzansi MP Makashule Gana.
Mchunu said there were three categories of people who have received VIP protection, other than members of the executive and diplomats.
Category one covers members of the legislature including speakers and deputy speakers of the national and provincial legislatures, and chairs and deputy chairs of the National Council of Provinces. Mchunu said the department spent about R71m a year for 22 VIPs, excluding basic compensation of SAPS close protection officers and travel expenditure.
Category two are identified members of the judiciary: chief justice, deputy chief justice, judge presidents, judge president of the Supreme Court of Appeal, deputy judge president of the Supreme Court of Appeal and judge president of the labour court. Fourteen VIPs cost the department about R45m a year, excluding basic compensation of the SAPS close protection officers and travel expenditure.
Category three are ad hoc VIPs, who are individuals of strategic importance to the country and are protected based on a positive threat against their physical security as confirmed by the intelligence community. The department spent about R53m on 82 VIPs over the past five years excluding basic compensation of SAPS close protection officers and travel expenditure.
'Identified provincial premiers, members of the executive council and judiciary have been protected in terms of the mandate that is extended to the SAPS, in terms of cabinet memorandum 1A of 2004 dated 10 November 2004 (minutes dated 17 November 2004), as well as the SAPS protection and security services divisional directive 'protection services rendered by the SAPS to identified local and foreign dignitaries', dated 8 December 2023,' Mchunu said.
'The ad hoc protection of VIPs is provided on a threat and risk basis.'
Gana argued that the figure for each ad hoc VIP is too high.
'The response on the rationale for protecting ad hoc VIPs is not clear and convincing,' Gana said. 'I will be asking a follow-up question on the ad hoc VIPs.'
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