Rise Mzansi's MP Makashule Gana echoed the sentiments.
“We are not safe, you are also not safe, that's why you have protection 24 hours, but South Africans are left to fend for themselves. There are more police officers outside this parliament than there are in police stations. Why do we want to spend R4bn to protect politicians? Do we need so many bodyguards?
“When South Africans call the police, they are told that there are no vehicles. Is this fair? You are actually saying politicians are unequal to normal South Africans. Please cut the fat from protection services, politicians are not more important than ordinary South Africans,” Gana said.
Police committee chair Ian Cameron was also not happy about the VIP budget.
“I'm worried about the increase in the VIP protection budget. It’s not a massive increase compared to previous budgets, but there is still an increase. There should actually be a decrease, and we should rather use that money to give ordinary South Africans a chance to have fair and proper policing that they haven’t had for so many years,” he said in an interview with Newzroom Afrika.
“Townships like Mfuleni and Thembisa are places that have a direct need for policing, and we could actually do a lot about it by just purely ensuring that VIP protection doesn't get funding that it supposedly needs, I don't think it does.”
WATCH | MPs slam R2bn for VIP protection in Mchunu's police budget
'While 61-million live in fear, R2bn is spent on protecting politicians'
MPs have opposed the allocation of R2bn for VIP protection services in minister of police Senzo Mchunu's 2024/25 budget.
Mchunu tabled the R113.6bn budget on Tuesday in parliament. The protection and security services programme was allocated R4.09bn, with VIP protection services taking a 53.1% chunk of it.
Build One SA (Bosa) deputy leader Nobuntu Hlazo-Webster said the money should be used to fight crime.
“While 61-million South Africans live in fear, the SAPS has the audacity to allocate over R2bn this year alone for the VIP protection of politicians of the government of national unity. Bosa wishes to unequivocally denounce the 'celebrity-like treatment' of politicians when 83 people are murdered every day,” Hlazo-Webster said.
She said the growing size of the cabinet was problematic to the police budget.
“It is a moral necessity for the minister of police to review this allocation and redirect these funds to fighting crime that affects ordinary South Africans,” Hlazo-Webster said.
Rise Mzansi's MP Makashule Gana echoed the sentiments.
“We are not safe, you are also not safe, that's why you have protection 24 hours, but South Africans are left to fend for themselves. There are more police officers outside this parliament than there are in police stations. Why do we want to spend R4bn to protect politicians? Do we need so many bodyguards?
“When South Africans call the police, they are told that there are no vehicles. Is this fair? You are actually saying politicians are unequal to normal South Africans. Please cut the fat from protection services, politicians are not more important than ordinary South Africans,” Gana said.
Police committee chair Ian Cameron was also not happy about the VIP budget.
“I'm worried about the increase in the VIP protection budget. It’s not a massive increase compared to previous budgets, but there is still an increase. There should actually be a decrease, and we should rather use that money to give ordinary South Africans a chance to have fair and proper policing that they haven’t had for so many years,” he said in an interview with Newzroom Afrika.
“Townships like Mfuleni and Thembisa are places that have a direct need for policing, and we could actually do a lot about it by just purely ensuring that VIP protection doesn't get funding that it supposedly needs, I don't think it does.”
He said the committee will push for the VIP protection budget to be reduced.
“We will push for the cost to be brought down and for the budget to be amended later in 2024, along with several other items in the budget. Whether it's the DA or any other political party, there's no reason to be spending all this money on VIP protection, especially while ordinary South Africans are suffering the way they are,” Cameron said.
Responding to the debate, Mchunu said: “We are agreeing in this house that the safety of the South African people is the number one priority.”
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