The Democratic Alliance (DA) says it will write to the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) to probe a questionable R9.7 million tender awarded by the Gauteng Department of Community Safety for the procurement of 124 pistols.
The party said the contract seems irregular since the pistol price is higher than the market price and there has been at least R58 000 overspent on every pistol if the department went for the highest end of these pistols.
DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Community Safety Crezane Bosch said the decision to allocate such a significant amount of money to procure firearms is perplexing, especially considering that Gauteng, a crime-ridden province, has only 143 police stations responsible for the safety of over 16 million people.
Bosch said many of these stations lack adequate resources, such as police vehicles and bulletproof vests, and are poorly maintained, understaffed, and underfunded.
“The Department of Community Safety, like the Gauteng Department of Social Development, has become a platform through which money is being funnelled for other purposes than service delivery.
“The money wasted on pistols could have been better spent addressing fundamental policing issues. Premier Panyaza Lesufi has consistently made bold promises in his State of the Province Addresses, claiming that crime is a top priority through a five-year Gauteng Policing Plan that aims to enhance resources for police stations. However, the awarding of this tender appears to be a step in the opposite direction,” she said.
Bosch said the DA will on Tuesday, 29 October, refer the matter to the SIU for an investigation and for the money to be recouped.
She said it is concerning and suspicious that the price of a single pistol has skyrocketed to R78 000, especially considering that the average price for such firearms typically ranges between R15 000 and R20 000.
“This drastic price warrants an investigation, as it smells of corruption,” she added.
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