The Portfolio Committee chairperson on Police Ian Cameron said the grim reality called for a shift in priorities.
Cameron said police priority needed to change moving forward saying it cannot be that the chunk of the police ministry budget goes to protection of political principal in a country that recorded over 80 murders, and over 130 rapes daily.
“I have expressed an extremely serious concern that the budget allocation prioritises VIP protection over essential police services. Soon we will do whatever necessary to amend budgets to better serve ordinary South Africans and better the circumstances for cops on the ground,” he said.
He further advocated for a decrease in VIP protection for ministers and public officials, saying that the country’s high crime rate necessitated the need to allocate resources more effectively.
With an average of 85 murders per day, South Africa’s murder rate is among the highest in the world.
According to police statistics, the rape rate were act an alarming 135 minimum cases reported daily, which translated to a disturbing 49 725 at minimum rapes and 31 025 murders per year.
Even though the VIP budget increase was not higher than the previous financial year, Cameron said there was still an increase nonetheless.
“Now, I say that there should actually be a decrease, and we should rather use that money to give ordinary South Africans a chance to have fair and proper policing that they haven’t had for so many years,” he said.
The chairperson said he believed the funds that were being allocated to political principals could be directed to places that were infested by illegal activity or township that were hive for criminals such as Emfuleni in Cape Town and Tembisa in Ekurhuleni.
Earlier this year, the Western Cape provincial police commissioner Lt-Gen Thembisile Patekile, revealed that Mfuleni police station was leading in the province with 80 murder cases in February, from 89 during the same period in 2022.
Patekile said even though the number of reported murder cases had decreased, the station still had the second highest murder cases in the country.
The station was closely followed by Gugulethu police station in the province and third place nationally with 73 cases reported from 50 cases in the previous year, an increase of 23 cases.
Nyanga is in third position in the province and in fourth place nationally with 73 cases reported from 68 cases in the previous year, it has increased with five cases.
The Star