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Today, the Democratic Alliance (DA) received a parliamentary question reply which reveals that National Police Commissioner Bheki Cele spent R1 498 300 00 of state funds on national and international trips using the South African Police Services (SAPS) jet. This bill covers trips undertaken since 2 August 2009. In answering, the Minister of Police, Nathi Mthethwa, did not disclose the purpose of these trips, nor did he indicate why it was deemed necessary that Commissioner Cele could not travel using a commercial airline in each instance. Recently, Commissioner Cele’s conduct regarding the dodgy SAPS lease deals has been found by the Public Protector to be unlawful, improper and constituting maladministration. This latest revelation underscores the disregard that Commissioner Cele has repeatedly displayed for accountability, professional conduct and prudent use of state funds. It is unclear what more evidence President Jacob Zuma needs before Commissioner Cele is dismissed.
A copy of this reply can be found here.
Facts revealed by Minister Mthethwa’s reply include:

• Commissioner Cele took a total of 47 trips on the SAPS jet between 2 August 2009 and 30 May 2011.
• In less that one month, Commissioner Cele racked up a bill of R150 000 on three separate trips from O.R Tambo International, Johannesburg, to Cape Town. Three such business class trips on SAA would have equaled less than a tenth of that cost. 
• Of the 47 trips taken by the Police Commissioner, not a single one cost less than R10 000.
According to the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) the accounting officer of an institution “must exercise all reasonable care to detect unauthorized, irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure, and must for this purpose implement effective, efficient and transparent processes of financial and risk management.”
 
The Accounting officer of the SAPS is Police Commissioner Bheki Cele. Commissioner Cele’s approximately R1.5 million SAPS jet bill constitutes reckless expenditure. Such expenditure is even more reckless given that Commissioner Cele is the individual responsible for ensuring that the institution he oversees manages its finances prudently. This is the second time in two weeks that serious questions have been raised about Commissioner Cele’s ability to honour the responsibilities of his position.
In addition, it is inconceivable that Commissioner Cele is allowed to squander state funds in this way, when the lives of SAPS officers are placed in danger daily due to shortages of basic equipment. The DA will be submitting follow up questions to the Minister of Police to determine the purpose of each trip undertaken by Commissioner Cele, and why it was deemed appropriate that the Police Commissioner made use of the SAPS jet in each case. In addition, the DA reiterates its call for President Zuma to dismiss the National Police Commissioner without further delay.