Cop splurge on cars, consumables blasted

R6 billion meant for upgrade of IT infrastructure diverted; underspend recorded on Criminal Justice System

THE National Treasury has blasted the police for using billions of rand – meant for IT infrastructure and maintenance and detective services – on consumables and buying vehicles.

The SAPS was supposed to jack up its Integrated Justice System (IJS) but over the years it used R6 billion for this to buy vehicles and other consumables.

MPs were not happy about how the police had not used these funds properly, saying they needed to account for this.

However, the police said some of the money had gone into the IJS system and Criminal Justice System.

The government introduced the Integrated Justice System years ago to improve the criminal justice system.

The police were allocated funds as they led the Criminal Justice System cluster, but this later changed.

Nompumelelo Radebe of the National Treasury told MPs that in some instances the police had not used the entire budget for the Integrated Justice System.

“As at the end of 2017/18 over R6bn (total allocation across all participating departments) had been allocated towards the implementation of the IJS programme since inception,” she said.

She warned that the police would not be allowed to use these funds until they were used for the projects the money was intended for.

This would force the police to stop using the funds to either buy cars or consumables.

This resulted in under-expenditure by the police.

“The Criminal Justice System has been targeted for baseline reduction because it is known for under-spending,” said the National Treasury official.

Radebe said the other cause for under-spending was that the police did not plan early for procurement.

They start planning for procurement during the second quarter of the financial year.

“You need to plan at least one year in advance. You can’t start procurement in the second quarter of the financial year,” she said.

She said maybe it would help the police to narrow the scope of their programme instead of trying to do everything.

This would allow them to avoid underspending.

Chairperson of the portfolio committee on police Francois Beukman said it was sobering to hear that R6bn later there was no tangible outcome on what had been spent.

In their response the police said the Integrated Justice System was built to modernise the criminal justice system.

Deputy National Commissioner for management advisory services Lieutenant-General Sindile Mfazi said it was their intention to jack up the IJS system.

“As an institution we actually engage on this issue of IJS and CJS with the purpose of optimal utilisation of technology,” said Mfazi.

“Our purpose is to fight crime and we need to develop some technology,” he said.

They wanted to ensure that they deal with the issue of fighting crime by strengthening their systems.

It was sobering to hear that R6 billion later there was no tangible outcome on what had been spent.