SAPS bosses enjoy the finer things

It seems that the SAPS leadership has moved away from the left – far away! Jacob Zuma promised accountability – let’s see if it kicks in yet? Isn’t there supposed to be some sort of tender process? Surely the need for accommodation did not arise out of the blue?

The article below from Die Burger (via News 24)

Cape Town – Only five months have passed since their appointments, but the expensive tastes of the top officials in the Department of Police have already cost the taxpayer more than R7m.Nathi Mthethwa, his deputy, Fikile Mbalula, and Commissioner Bheki Cele, the national police chief, have spent huge amounts of money on official cars, five-star hotel accommodation and a luxury official residence.Could be higher

Dianne Kohler-Barnard, the DA spokesperson on police matters, pointed out that the amount of R7.1m that had been spent so far, could in fact be higher as the police department still had to answer some parliamentary questions.

Police Minister

Mthethwa and Mbalula already came under fire for their hotel accommodation – which cost more than R800 000 – and their expensive official cars.

But it was the R3.3m official residence of the national police chief, which really sent tongues wagging.

Beeld reported last week that government was buying a house for Cele in Waterkloof Ridge in Pretoria, even though official residences were available elsewhere in Pretoria.

This included the amount spend on renovations to Mthethwa’s official residence, an analysis of how much officials spent on departmental credit cards, and the cost of events and imbizos.

“Let’s hope the answers that are to be provided, show that the department is able to spend money sensibly – in contrast to the extravagance of the top officials,” said Kohler-Barnard.

The dung ball for wasteful expenditure