The Democratic Alliance (DA) Cabinet ministers are using inherited vehicles from the previous administration, with no new acquisitions allowed, according to the party spokesperson and member of Parliament, Willie Aucamp.
Aucamp was responding to a statement made by ActionSA’s Parliamentary leader, Athol Trollip, who said Minister of Agriculture, John Steenhuisen, uses three department-owned vehicles equipped with blue lights. The vehicles are valued at over R2.8 million.
His statement stemmed from a Parliamentary question he posed to Steenhuisen to provide clarity on the modes of transport he uses for his official duties because he had “shunned the use of luxury vehicles fitted with blue lights in recent reports”.
In his answer, Steenhuisen confirmed that his department owns three vehicles that are equipped with blue lights and are used within the bounds of the law, which guides members of the executive.
“The VIP Protection Officers are appointed under the South African Police Act and execute their duties, which include but are not limited to the transportation of executives, with the official vehicles provided and fitted for the purpose,” he said, adding that no alternative high-security transport measures are being utilised.
In a statement on Tuesday, Aucamp said the claims made by ActionSA are inaccurate and damage the credibility of the party’s leaders.
“All ministerial vehicles for DA Cabinet ministers are inherited from the previous administration, and the acquisition of new vehicles has been strictly blocked by the DA ministers themselves,” he said.
Aucamp stated that while all inherited vehicles are equipped with blue lights, DA ministers have made it clear that the blue lights in their official vehicles will not be used under any circumstances.
“The DA believes that no minister has the privilege to travel by means of blue light convoys which disrupt traffic and grant ministers the unwarranted luxury to not plan their travel and appointments wisely,” said Aucamp.
According to Aucamp, DA ministers have instructed their security personnel to always abide by traffic laws and not make use of blue lights for all ministerial travel.
“This is not a parliamentary perk. Instead, they are regarded as a tool of trade for members of the executive branch across the world. As has always been the practice, members of the executive are provided two official vehicles, in Gauteng and the Western Cape,” he said.
He noted that official vehicles are only provided in these provinces. “When executing official duties outside Gauteng or the Western Cape, vehicles are hired by the respective departments for ministers to attend to their work.”
DA lists the vehicles utilised by Minister Steenhuisen:
- A 6-year-old Audi A7 inherited from the previous minister, Thoko Didiza, with approximately 135 000 kilometres on the clock.
- A 7-year-old Toyota Prado with approximately 230 000 kilometres on the clock inherited from the erstwhile minister, Senzeni Zokwana.
“As these vehicles are not the personal vehicles of the minister, they are specified by government legislation and handbook, and as both vehicles had been used by former ministers, they were both already specified with security features, the so-called ‘blue lights’. This is standard across all executive vehicles, including those utilised by provincial and local government executives,” said Aucamp.
Aucamp added that ActionSA’s current mayor of Tshwane, Nasiphi Moya, has two luxury BMW vehicles fitted with security features that she utilises for her official duties, while the party’s Speaker of Johannesburg has two luxury BMW vehicles with security features that she utilises for official duties.
He said these inaccurate statements about the vehicles Steenhuisen travel in distract from the work the Government of National Unity (GNU) is doing to help the country’s agriculture sector.
“The DA is proud of what all DA ministers have done in continuing to save costs on cars, offices, travel expenses, and to ensure that resources are poured instead into service delivery, job creation, and growing the economy,” said Aucamp.