The Democratic Alliance yesterday criticised the SAPS air wing's purchase of a
R150 million Cessna Citation Sovereign private business jet for official
purposes as a "disgraceful waste of public money".
Replying to a written question in the National Assembly, Police Minister Nathi
Mthethwa said the aircraft was bought in February last year.
It was used, among other things, for transporting members of the special task
force to hostage situations, members of crime intelligence for follow-up
operations, and transporting VIP protection service advance teams to countries
in Africa.
It had also been used to transport the task team responsible for the planning of
the Fifa Confederations Cup this year and World Cup in 2010, and the team
responsible for planning the national and provincial government elections in
April.
The aircraft was further used for operational visits to ports of entry and
borderline areas by command staff, and to generally transport the minister, his
deputy and SAPS officers on various official trips around the country, Mthethwa
said.
However, the DA's Dianne Kohler Barnard contended: "This is a disgraceful waste
of public money. We have a national carrier and an air force, and given the
array of serious resourcing problems facing the police, it is unthinkable that
such an enormous amount of money would be frittered away on a private jet." -
Sapa
With acknowledgements to Sapa and Cape Times.
All the while the members of the Priority
Crimes Investigation Unit "the Hawks" have no laptop computers, no landlines, no
fax facilities and just 120 minutes of cellphone airtime per month.
And this government is serious about fighting crime?
They not only waste taxpayers' money, they waste oxygen.