Johannesburg - More than R8.6 million of the South African Police Service budget has been spent on luxury vehicles for the wives of President Jacob Zuma over the past four financial years.
This was revealed by Police Minister Nathi Nhleko on Tuesday in a parliamentary reply to DA MP Zakhele Mbhele. The vehicles purchased included four Range Rover standard utility vehicles (SUVs) bought in 2013 at a cost of R946 612 each and two Land Rover Discovery SUVs, purchased in 2014 for R638 831 each.
According to Nhleko’s written reply, five vehicles were purchased this year – two Audi Q7 SUVs at a cost of R857 047 each and three Audi A6 sedans with a price tag of R634 992 each. Nhleko said these were bought to “provide comprehensive protection of VIP spouses”.
“It could have funded 116 university students for a year, or 38 students for the course of a three-year degree," Mbhele said, slamming the expense as a waste. It cost R54.6m to support the country’s first ladies in Zuma’s first term in office. The Presidential Spousal Support Unit for the last four years of former president Thabo Mbeki’s administration cost R7.1m.