President Cyril Ramaphosa Says R2 Billion Spent by SAPS to Protect Top Government Officials Is Justified

• President Cyril Ramaphosa is adamant that the budget allocated to protect ministers is justified
• The president also said that Police Minister Bheki Cele will also remain in his position despite spending millions on catering and accommodation
• South Africans believe that the money should have been used to aid in the loadshedding crisis

CAPE TOWN - President Cyril Ramaphosa has backed the R2 billion rand that was used to protect ministers and other top political officials. This was a response by Ramaphosa to a parliamentary question from the Democratic Alliance (DA).

IOL reported that the leader of the DA, John Steenhuisen, said that top government officials earned enough to afford their own private security and wanted the government to account for the R2 billion that the South African Police Service (SAPS) used for private security.

Ramaphosa also reaffirmed that Police Minister Bheki Cele will continue with his tenure even though SAPS allegedly spent a staggering R600 million on accommodation and catering.

In the wake of Eskom implementing nationwide Stage 6 loadshedding on 18 September, South Africans feel that the government's excessive spending on accommodation catering and VIP protection is unjustifiable.

@mybaby_babygirl asked:

"There are only two groups that require blue lights and heavy security. Prisoners and politicians. What do they have in common, except that they both start with P?"

@Eduard89851969 suggested:

"How about using at least R1.5bn of that excessive VIP protection budget to deploy security to critical substations instead? Every time there is loadshedding, a big substation has its cables & equipment stolen & vandalized."

@nsizwa99 commented:

"We are on our own! They're making sure they're well protected whilst never getting loadshedding! It's as if they're preparing themselves against public backlash because they know they messed up really badly on service delivery & corruption."

@invicta100 said:

"While more than 70 people a day are murdered in South Africa, it's all good as long as they are safe."

@tshililo_masala added:

"If they were not corrupt and running the country like cartels they would not worry about their safety. There are world leaders who don't have such and there are likes of Biden who can't leave their tanks behind because of their shady doings then our thieves."

@mklaver6 said:

"The ANC government will justify and defend any amount of money spent on themselves until doomsday, they have no shame about how they are ruining this country."

@Phumzile_Matolo tweeted:

"Usabani? What is he afraid of? Next, they will be guarded by SANDF."

@GatvolZ wrote:

"Yet people in this country are starving and the ANC workers haven't been paid! PRIORITIES!"

Police Minister Bheki Cele says he will resign if President Cyril Ramaphosa asks him to do so

Briefly News reported that Police Minister Bheki Cele's job could be on the line. Various political organisations have been criticising cabinet ministers and want them removed.

The Democratic Alliance tabled a motion of no confidence and plans to vote out all ministers on 30 March at the National Assembly.

Source: Briefly News