By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Police Minister Bheki Cele confirmed that R75 million was spent to provide security at the BRICS summit held in Sandton in August.
More than 5,000 South African Police Service members were deployed during the summit, while 726 SAPS vehicles were used.
Cele detailed the money and resources spent on the summit in an answer to DA MP Delmaine Christians.
“A total number of 5 234 SA Police Service (SAPS) members were deployed during the summit, and a total number of 726 SAPS vehicles were utilised,” Cele said.
“An amount of approximately R75 000 000 was spent. There was no additional security with regards to the summit,” the minister added.
Christians said it’s unacceptable that large sums of money and police resources are used to secure the summit while ordinary South Africans are left to fend for themselves against criminals.
“The Democratic Alliance is outraged that the South African Police Service (SAPS) spent R75 million protecting delegates of the three-day BRICS summit while ordinary South Africans are left to be murdered, raped, robbed, kidnapped and trafficked 365 days of the year,” said Christians.
Cele’s response comes days after news broke that South Africa now ranks 7th in the world out of 193 countries for mafia-style criminal networks and organised crime syndicates.
This is according to the 2023 Global Organized Crime Index.
Christians said Cele and the government clearly have no regard for the safety of ordinary South Africans.
“Cele and the ANC government’s willingness to so easily forego the protection of ordinary citizens and instead transform the incapacitated and under-resourced police service into a VIP protection service for delegates from countries that include amongst them mafia-states, is a direct indication of the absolute disregard that the ANC has for the safety and protection of South Africans.”
Meanwhile Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday he skipped a BRICS summit in South Africa because he did not want to cause a “political show”.
The Russian leader is the target of an International Criminal Court arrest warrant – a provision that South Africa as an ICC member would be expected to implement if he were to set foot in the country.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov attended the summit in Johannesburg.
“Why should I create some problems for our friends during an event?” Putin said at a meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club.
“If I come, a political show will start,” he said, adding that he had “enough to do at home” – suggesting he did not quite believe he would face arrest.
South Africa said at the time that Putin did not want to “jeopardise” the talks.
President Cyril Ramaphosa first tried to keep secret, then welcomed the publication of, his arguments on why Putin could not be arrested.
“It would be a reckless, unconstitutional and unlawful exercise of the powers conferred upon the government to declare war with Russia by arresting president Putin,” Ramaphosa told the high court.
In March, the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Putin over his decision to send troops to Ukraine last year and over the illegal deportation of children to Russia.
Moscow has branded the arrest warrant “illegal”.
Later this month Putin is expected to visit ex-Soviet Kyrgyzstan, his first foreign trip since the issuance of the ICC arrest warrant.
He has rarely left Russia since launching the full-scale offensive against Ukraine in February 2022.
Putin last left Russia in December last year, when he travelled to neighbouring Belarus and to Kyrgyzstan.
This week, Armenia approved a key step towards joining the ICC, angering Moscow.
Russia is due to host the next BRICS summit in the city of Kazan in October 2024, after the country holds a presidential election that could extend Putin’s rule until at least 2030.
With inputs from AFP.