The DA in Limpopo will submit questions for written response to the Legislature on Premier Ramathuba’s irregular expanded protection escort.
We have been reliably informed that, in addition to the allocated 2 full time and budgeted SAPS members serving on the premier’s protection detail, there are an additional 12 traffic officers and two extra vehicles at the disposal of the premier 24/7.
SAPS refuses to foot the bill for this extravagance which is indicative that this is a back-channel arrangement.
The Department of Transport and Community Safety must now fund the 12 traffic officers and 2 vehicles to shadow the premier.
Limpopo province has a long-standing shortage of traffic officials and vehicles which negatively affects road safety measures; to withdraw 12 officers from the field to be at the premier’s beck and call is disingenuous to the executive’s continuous claim that service delivery is prioritised.
We are further concerned that traffic officials are not mandated or trained by the SAPS VIP Protection and Security Services unit to protect themselves and premier in a life-threatening situation.
The DA expects MEC for Transport, Violet Mathye, to provide a detailed breakdown of this extravagance including, salaries, benefits and the vehicle maintenance and fuel costs for this indulgence; it is already claimed that some of these officials have not been paid for more than 100 hours of overtime.
The province can ill-afford additional funds for an apparent vanity project for the Premier while the people of this province continue to die on our roads.