Use of Police Jet by Top Management Is Justified and an Efficient Mode of Transport
Today, in a written response to a DA question to Parliament, the Minister of Police submitted that between 3 August 2009 and 30 May 2011, the National Commissioner of Police has undertaken 47 trips on the jet owned by the South African Police Service. The total cost of these trips amounted to R1 498 300.
The facts that are being blatantly ignored by certain individuals are:
General Cele never undertakes such trips on his own - he is always accompanied by members of his top management, therefore there are usually eight (8) passengers on the jet. Should General Cele undertake a trip on his own he will utilize a commercial airline.
These trips are often undertaken on very short notice and commercial flights are not always available to transport the National Commissioner and senior officers to the destination where they have to perform official duties.
When top management has to attend official duties out of Gauteng and return to Head Office for other commitments on the same day, the use of the police-owned jet is more economical in terms of time spent travelling to and from international airports as well as waiting for flights.
The time period in question includes the run-up to the 2010 FIFA World Cup, when it was necessary for the National Commissioner and his management to check on the operational plans and state of readiness of all Provinces to host a safe and secure World Cup. During the World Cup this team had to travel to the various Provinces to ensure that pre-game arrangements in terms of security were being dealt with appropriately and to deal with crises, such as strikes by private security at World Cup venues. The successful securing of the 2010 FIFA World Cup can to a large extent be attributed to this hands on approach by General Cele.
During the period of time under discussion, the National Commissioner and his senior management also embarked on visits to each Province during which 126 police stations were inspected and National Management meetings were held. This with the aim of improving service delivery to the communities and addressing challenges faced by members of the SAPS at grass-roots level. The fact that these visits were undertaken has been widely publicized. All plans relating to, and the roll-out of the countrywide Safer Festive Season operations, which were also very successful, were also implemented during the timeframe in question.
It must also be stressed most emphatically that the police jet, and other police owned aircraft, are not used exclusively by the National Commissioner and top management. These aircraft are used for operational members of the SAPS, for example to transport members of the Special Task Force to high-risk situations anywhere in the country as well as to convey detectives, crime scene experts and forensic analysts to crime scenes anywhere in the country.
When one takes all the above into consideration, one can only reach the conclusion that certain elements are hasty in their rush to condemn, criticize and vilify the National Commissioner. Over the period of time during which these trips were undertaken, the police jet was the most efficient means of transportation in terms of cost effectiveness and effective time management.
Statement issued by Major General Nonkululeko Mbatha and Brigadier Sally de Beer, National Media Centre, SAPS, Head Office, July 26 2011
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