The Democratic Alliance (DA) caucus in Johannesburg has called on the City of Johannesburg (CoJ) to revisit its VIP protection policy, saying it is irrational, unlawful and unconstitutional.
The city approved the policy earlier this year. It is spending over R3 million a month on VIP protection with about 60 bodyguards and 40 vehicles.
Service delivery has suffered as a result of the city's budget revision, which went from R83 billion to R76 billion as a result of falling revenue.
The city is financially strained.
The party took the city to court, accusing it of misusing the blue lights and also stated that this violated the Municipal Systems Act.
"We are asking the courts to declare the City’s VIP Protection Policy and subsequent decision made in council to approve it irrational, unlawful and unconstitutional.
"More so than this, we urge the courts to consider a cost order against those individuals who made the unlawful decision to bring the motion to council.
"This is a step in holding officials, and the executive who benefit from unlawfulness to account. We will do everything in our might to fight for responsible use of the residents of Johannesburg’s money.
"That seems to be something the CoJ’s executive needs to be reminded about, it is not your money, but the residents of Johannesburg’s," the DA said.
While residents grapple with electricity increases, surcharges on top of increases, water shedding and load reduction, caucus leader Belinda Kayser-Echeozonjoku stressed that the city’s executives were being driven around in blue lights paid for by the suffering residents.
She mentioned that her party cannot sit while the City was ransacked of its resources.
"We will always be on the side of the rule of law, and in situations like these, we will hold those responsible for wasting money that could be spent on service delivery, to account in their personal capacity," she maintained.
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