The DA has called for Police Minister Bheki Cele to be billed in his personal capacity for chartering a SAPS helicopter to the ANC’s manifesto launch at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban on Saturday.
Cele arrived at the ANC’s manifesto launch in a chartered SAPS helicopter. His stylish arrival at the ANC occasion has caused a stir among social media users, who also lamented Cele’s decision-making.
The DA, through its shadow minister of police, Andrew Whitfield, has indicated that Cele’s helicopter stunt was an abuse of state resources and, as such, he should be billed for every flight minute that the helicopter was in the air.
“Police Minister Bheki Cele should be billed in his personal capacity for chartering a South African Police Service (SAPS) helicopter to the ANC’s manifesto launch at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban. Cele’s helicopter stunt was a gross abuse of state resources and he should be made to pay for every flight minute that the helicopter was in the air,” Whitfield said.
Furthermore, the DA has called for an internal investigation to reveal the decision-makers behind this blunder.
“In addition, the DA is calling for a full SAPS internal investigation to review the decision-making process that authorised the use of the helicopter by Cele. All the SAPS officers – across the chain of command who signed off on this irregular use of a police asset – should be subjected to a disciplinary process,” he said.
Whitfield said the decision to use a state resource for a personal political event showed the little respect the minister has for state assets, adding that this has become a common occurrence among ANC leaders.
“In typical Cele fashion, the disgraced police minister has once again shown his disdain for the South African public by using state resources for an ANC party event. State resources, inclusive of SAPS assets, should never be used for party political events.
“By commandeering a helicopter from the SAPS Air Wing Unit, Cele displayed an arrogant sense of entitlement that has become the hallmark of ANC politicians across the government system.
“He would rather divert SAPS’s crime-fighting resources for his personal use than protect South Africans who are being terrorised by a crime wave that has become a national crisis.
“It is clear that the ANC and its deployees in government are so used to the high life of living without load shedding, protected day and night by VIP protection, transported by blue-light brigades and totally out of touch with the daily struggle of South Africans, that they have long since forgotten the line between state and party,” Whitfield said.
The Star