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The Minister of Police, Mr. Nathi Mthethwa, confirmed that it has cost taxpayers R886 668 to safeguard the security of Mr. Julius Malema, Youth Leader of the ANC. He answered in writing to a question posed by Mr. Pieter Groenewald of the Freedom Front Plus in Parliament. Mthethwa also confirmed that Malema had been protected every day from 23 October 2009 until 11 October 2010 by two members of the Police.

"Taxpayers and ordinary citizens have to fork out millions of rand annually to ensure their own private security and safety. It could rightfully be asked what the exception was in the case of Malema that the Police had to provide him with the security of two body guards. Malema does not hold any public office and it is strange that, when he had still been in the good books of President Zuma, he had been given this kind of protection. Now that Malema has fallen in disfavour, his safety is certainly in greater danger but the protection was removed. It proves that Malema's safety had never been in any danger but that it had rather elevated his status to have two Police guards. The ANC Youth League should pay the money back to the state," Mr. Pieter Groenewald (MP), chief spokesperson for the Freedom Front Plus says.