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While the Democratic Alliance (DA) welcomes the purchase and handover of new SAPS vehicles for frontline service yesterday, we remain concerned that the underlying problems with the maintenance and repair of the existing fleet have not been resolved.

These new vehicles will also need to be serviced from time to time and repaired when damaged. However, the SAPS’s current system is cumbersome and lacks agility. This is compounded by lengthy turnaround times to repair vehicles, even for relatively small items such as replacing a light bulb.

Despite changes to the vehicle maintenance and repair arrangements, SAPS is still not ensuring that maintenance is happening properly and that damaged vehicles are repaired within reasonable timeframes. This points to a broader failure in fleet management that needs urgent attention.

These challenges leave police officers without the vehicles they need to do their jobs and undermine the operational capacity of the SAPS.

I have raised these challenges directly with the Acting Minister of Police through our engagements in the Select Committee on Security and Justice. His response was that a new Fleet Management Strategy had been adopted, which he had not yet seen. The committee is also still awaiting a detailed briefing on this strategy and how it will resolve the current impasse.

The DA welcomes the addition of these much-needed vehicles to strengthen efforts to fight crime and support units such as Visible Policing, detective services and Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS).

However, buying more vehicles is only part of the solution. The SAPS must also ensure that its existing fleet is properly maintained and that damaged vehicles are repaired without unnecessary delays.

The DA will continue to fight for a more efficient vehicle maintenance and repair system so that police vehicles are on the road and available to serve and protect communities.

Issued by DA Member of the Select Committee on Security and Justice Ofentse Mokae