ActionSA Hits Out At GNU’s R3.7 Billion VIP Protection Bill

South Africans are no strangers to debates about government spending, but the latest figures landed like a punch to the gut. ActionSA is taking aim at what it calls a staggering and unjustifiable R3.7 billion splurge by the Government of National Unity on keeping politicians, traditional leaders and visiting dignitaries safe.

And with crime still plaguing communities from Joburg’s inner city to rural villages, the revelation has triggered outrage online, with many users on X asking why ministers enjoy world-class protection while residents feel exposed.

What The Numbers Reveal

In a parliamentary reply, Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia confirmed that the state spent R2.29 billion on VIP protection services in the past financial year, plus another R1.42 billion on static protection.

Put simply, taxpayers spent more protecting politicians than the country spent fighting organised crime. The budget for the Hawks, South Africa’s elite crime-fighting unit, stood at R2.4 billion over the same period.

To many South Africans, this is the part that stings. At a time when kidnappings, extortion rackets and corruption cases are becoming more complex, the people tasked with tackling them are operating with less than politicians’ protection details.

ActionSA’s Outrage

ActionSA MP Alan Beesley said the numbers point to a government more interested in protecting its leaders than its people. He warned that spending could pass the R4 billion mark this year if left unchecked.

“It is clear that the priorities of the GNU is to expand the perks of the bloated Cabinet and political elite rather than combatting corruption and crime,” he said.

The party has long campaigned against what it sees as executive excess, and last year introduced a bill aimed at cutting Cabinet perks, including the VIP benefits they currently enjoy.

Why This Matters For Ordinary South Africans

When budgets tighten, choices become louder. R3.7 billion could mean new crime-fighting units, more investigators, or better training for SAPS members. Instead, it has gone into blue-light brigades and static guards stationed outside government residences.

For residents in cities like Johannesburg, where crime hotspots remain unresolved and police visibility is inconsistent, the spending feels symbolic of a government that is out of touch with everyday safety concerns.

ActionSA hopes its proposed legislation will curb what it calls “executive waste”, but whether the bill gains traction in a coalition-heavy political environment remains to be seen.

A Bigger Battle About Priorities

Ultimately, the backlash is not just about money. It is about perception. South Africans want to feel safer. They want to see real action on corruption. They want a police service strengthened at the core, not overshadowed by the needs of a political elite.

As long as VIP protection takes precedence over fighting crime, parties like ActionSA will continue to push back and voters will continue to ask uncomfortable questions about who government really serves.

{Source: EWN}

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