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@dailysunofficial Has the DA been caught in a lie? The party insisted that none of their ministers use government’s blue light brigade, but this has been proven to be false. It has been revealed that DA leader John Steenhuisen, who is also the minister of agriculture, has been enjoying the perks that come with being a minister, including the use of blue lights. In a Parliament reply to ActionSA, Steenhuisen admitted that he has three luxury department-owned executive SUVs, which are equipped with blue lights. Steenhuisen is currently using multiple blue-light luxury SUVs, including an Audi Q7, BMW X5 and Toyota Prado, all worth more than R2,8 million combined. However, he was seen driving a Toyota Corolla Cross in 2024 and when asked why he was not in a luxurious car, he claimed: “Cost saving, more money needs to be spent on the citizens, not politicians.” #dailysun #johnsteenhuisen #DA #Bluelights ? original sound – DailySunOfficial HAS the DA been caught in a lie?
The party insisted that none of their ministers use government’s blue light brigade, but this has been proven to be false.
It has been revealed that DA leader John Steenhuisen, who is also the minister of agriculture, has been enjoying the perks that come with being a minister, including the use of blue lights.
In a Parliament reply to ActionSA, Steenhuisen admitted that he has three luxury department-owned executive SUVs, which are equipped with blue lights.
Steenhuisen is currently using multiple blue-light luxury SUVs, including an Audi Q7, BMW X5 and Toyota Prado, all worth more than R2,8 million combined.
However, he was seen driving a Toyota Corolla Cross in 2024 and when asked why he was not in a luxurious car, he claimed: “Cost saving, more money needs to be spent on the citizens, not politicians.”
WATCH: Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen is seen riding a Toyota Corolla Cross, while his counterparts like Julius Malema drives around on convoys of black Porsche Cheyenne GTS and wearing shoes which costs R28k.
What’s your view?
@ThePPLive pic.twitter.com/we1UhpIyUz
— The Political Playground ?? (@ThePPLiveSA) November 1, 2024On the other hand, when the DA became part of the Government of National Unity (GNU), party chairwoman Helen Zille demanded that DA ministers should not use the blue light brigade.
And this was not the first time the DA spoke against cabinet members using VIP protection services.
ActionSA viewed this as hollow, stating that the claims of standing against wasteful expenditure and the abuse of state resources only lent belief to evident concerns that the GNU has become nothing more than a convenient political arrangement between the ANC and DA.
ActionSA member of Parliament, Dereleen James said while the South African Police Service (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 lives in a bubble of luxury and security paid for by the very taxpayers who are being forced to tighten their belts.
JUST IN : Helen Zille tells me on #TheCMShow that None of DA ministers use blue lights. She says DA ministers don’t use both their ministerial homes in CT and Tshwane. She says their ministers have agreed to share a house in Tshwane to avoid abusing state resources. @Radio702 https://t.co/pK5orqwcJs
— Clement Manyathela (@TheRealClementM) August 6, 2024“Further burdening taxpayers, revelations in response to ActionSA’s Parliamentary questions regarding ministerial travel expose eye-watering amounts spent on overseas travel and related perks, clearly illustrating that the GNU operates more like a jet-setting government than a modest caring one,” he said.
In response to this, the DA said the claims are untrue and damage the credibility of its leaders who have promised South Africa that they will play a constructive oppositional role from their place on the backbenches in Parliament.
DA National spokesman Willie Aucamp said:
“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. Similarly, 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.”
Aucamp said Steenhuisen uses a six-year-old Audi A7 inherited from the previous minister, Thoko Didiza with about 135 000km on the clock and a seven-year-old Toyota Prado with approximately 230 000km on the clock inherited from 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 have 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 used by provincial and local government executives,” said Aucamp.
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