National Police Commissioner General Bheki Cele. Photo: Matthew Jordaan National Police Commissioner General Bheki Cele. Photo: Matthew Jordaan
Irregular expenditure at the SAPS shot up 3 000 percent in the last financial year – with R97.5 million spent without procurement procedures being followed.
This was the focus of heated debate when national police commissioner General Bheki Cele, Hawks boss Anwa Dramat and other top officers appeared before the National Assembly’s police oversight committee on Wednesday.
MPs were gobsmacked at the responses from the police top brass, and the discussions on the irregular expenditure were eventually shelved as the officers were unable to provide concrete reasons for the rules having being flouted.
MPs said the R97.5m was just the tip of the iceberg as the figure had been derived by the Auditor-General from a sample of 5 percent of total expenditure for 2010/11.
But the police were unapologetic, saying the SAPS tender bid committee had condoned R92m of the irregular expenditure. To the anger of the committee, the officers said they could not recover the funds because they had “benefited the state”.
Of the R97.5m, about R60m was spent on parties for law enforcers as Police Day celebrations.
Details of the irregular expenditure showed that the “benefits to the state” included: R11.9m for artists and performers; R45.2m for accommodation and meals; R12m for transport; R9.2m for catering; R3m for communication; and R6m for building renovations.
The revelations prompted DA MP Dianne Kohler Barnard to say: “This is not the Grahamstown Festival… R11.9m for a few hours on stage… Someone has pocketed this money.”
Pressed on why the spending had been condoned, General Joe Mokwena, head of acquisitions at the SAPS, said: “It’s because in all cases where it (took) place, the state received value for money.”
The SAPS could not recover the money because no losses had been incurred.
“Quotations were obtained, financial authority was obtained, the only thing not obtained was procurement authority,” Mokwena added. “At the end, what was requested was delivered, and to the benefit of the state.”
Mokwena’s comments infuriated committee chairwoman Sindi Chikunga, who said: “How is it so easy to condone R90m? How can it be, really?
“A 3 000 percent increase is a huge increase in anyone’s books, especially if you didn’t build any victim support centres in that year.”
ANC MP Annelize van Wyk said: “The police are acting like it’s their own money. In fact, you won’t spend your own money like this. It’s not your money, it’s citizens who work and pay.”
Other expenditure included R89m for legal fees and R85m in contingency liabilities.
Members who were off sick cost the SAPS 1.5 million working days and taxpayers more than R771m. This was an increase of 40 percent over the previous year. The SAPS said that after it had detected the abuse of sick leave, measures had been put in place.
Divisional commissioner for training Gary Kruser said 10 police officials in supply chain management were being investigated by the SAPS.
The hearings were set to continue on Thursday. - Political Bureau