Shortage of cop vehicles looming
Red tape holds up repairs as cars stand idle
POLICE face a looming shortage of vehicles in Nelson Mandela Bay which could halt the city’s war on crime. More than 100 broken down police vehicles are already gathering dust around the city because of bureaucratic red tape.
This has been caused by the police’s top brass failing to approve the financing required to repair the vehicles.
Several police sources said about 150 vehicles were standing idle in police pounds and warehouses waiting to be repaired.
The delay has caused some police stations to operate with a skeleton number of vehicles.
The officers, who requested anonymity, also warned the delay could “cripple” police stations ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) next year.
Since last week some Port Elizabeth police stations have sent officers to the provincial head office in King William’s Town to get financial authority to repair the vehicles.
Police policy states that before any vehicle is repaired three quotes must be sourced. This, coupled with all the other relevant documentation, must then be handed in at the state garage.
Each police vehicle has an allocated budget from which the required funds are withdrawn.
Provincial commissioner Lieutenant-General Cynthia Binta’s spokeswoman, Colonel Sibongile Soci, confirmed a managerial team was sent to Port Elizabeth’s police garage last week to identify and resolve any problems.
But officials working with the police fleet said many of the broken vehicles were stored elsewhere before the team arrived.
When asked if she was aware of the backlog at the garage, Soci said: “Yes, but these vehicles are in the process of being repaired.”
Despite officers insisting that hundreds of vehicles were waiting to be repaired, Soci said only 30 were waiting to be repaired, while 11 were awaiting financial authority from the national office.
The vehicle shortage comes only a month after the police were forced to settle a R1-million debt owed to five towing companies. The companies were contracted to transport vehicles from crime scenes.