DA DIK ding John Steenhuisen has defended his use of a fleet of luxury blue-light vehicles valued at over R2.8 million.
This came in a Parliamentary response by Minister of Agriculture Steenhuisen to questions by ActionSA’s Parliamentary leader Athol Trollip recently to provide clarity on his official in light of the fact that he had shunned the use of luxury vehicles fitted with blue lights in recent reports.
Responding, Steenhuisen confirmed the Ministry’s current fleet includes a 2018 Audi Q7, a 2019 Toyota Prado, and a 2020 BMW X5, with a combined purchase price of R2 806 906.30.
The Minister explained that members of the executive, as approved by President Cyril Ramaphosa, is the current policy document under which executive vehicles are procured and came into effect on 13 April 2022.
But in a statement earlier this week, Trollip continued his offensive, saying that contrary to repeated claims that DA ministers in the Government of National Unity (GNU) do not utilise blue lights, ‘Steenhuisen enjoys the perks of multiple blue-light luxury SUVs’.
He said: “Steenhuisen’s own written reply to ActionSA’s parliamentary question is a striking revelation that contradicts DA Federal Chairperson Helen Zille’s public assertions that no DA Minister makes use of blue lights…
“While SAPS battles to equip police stations with basic vehicles, crippling its ability to combat escalating violent crime and leaving South Africans vulnerable, the bloated billion-rand Cabinet live in a bubble of luxury and security, paid for by the very taxpayers who are being forced to tighten their belts.”