Durban - Three of the four controversial Casspirs bought for the metro police by eThekwini Municipality were delivered to the Durban Metro Police on Wednesday.The Casspirs cost more than R23million and have been mired in controversy as opposition parties questioned whether there was a real need for the vehicles and also their price tag.
“We have been waiting for the vehicles for some time, since 2016,” said Metro Police spokesman, Senior Superintendent Parboo Sewpersad.
He said he was not sure when the fourth vehicle would arrive.
Sewpersad said the vehicles were transported from manufacturer Denel’s offices. The vehicles would, however, not immediately go into action.
He said they still had to be registered as metro police vehicles and members of the Public Order Policing division still had to be trained by Denel experts on how to use them.
He said the metro police needed the vehicles because their officers had to deal with increasingly violent protests, which put their lives in danger.
“Ultimately, it is our members’ safety that is most important,” he said.
eThekwini executive committee member Heinz de Boer, of the DA, said he was disappointed by the developments.
De Boer said the metro police already had problems with staff not having enough equipment, adding that he was unsure if the Horse Unit had a future.
More than 200 new recruits coming soon would also need to be equipped to perform their duties. He said the city only needed one Casspir at best for extremely violent situations.
“These Casspirs are toys for somebody,” he said.
De Boer said it was also ironic that the Casspirs, which were a symbol of apartheid and used as instruments to suppress protests during the era, were now being deployed against people who were fighting for the end of another oppressive system.