A total of 638 police vehicles in the Free State are currently unused, while they should be used to combat crime.
In reply to a question by the FF Plus in the Free State Legislature, the MEC for Community Safety, Roads and Transport, Ms Maqueen Mathae, indicated that the vehicles ought to be used, but are currently standing in workshops.
Of the 3 616 police vehicles in the province, 472 may possibly have to be disposed of due to, among other things, age.
It is clear from the MEC’s reply that more than a thousand vehicles are currently not in a working condition and the new vehicles are not enough to meet the province’s needs.
The FF Plus demands that the MEC should indicate in how many of the 638 cases the vehicles cannot be used as a result of negligence.
The Free State, where farm attacks and livestock theft pose serious risks to rural safety, cannot afford to have police vehicles standing in workshops while they ought to be used to keep communities safe.