CAMI - Current Affairs Monitor International

Almost ONE IN TWO Flying Squad vehicles in the North West is unavailable. 15 vehicles out of use. Just 17 operational. That is the worst provincial availability rate in the country. In the Eastern Cape, more than one in three is unavailable. In Mpumalanga, almost one in three. The SAPS Flying Squad is too often overlooked as a specialised unit. Yet these members are frequently on the frontline against the most dangerous violent criminals, racing to people who desperately need help. Servicing is necessary. SAPS must plan for it and ensure that these units can still respond. The Minister and National Commissioner must explain how long vehicles have been unavailable, when they will return and what replacement capacity exists. Our members need reliable vehicles. People in danger need help that can reach them. A separate reply lists 88 of 207 allocated Flying Squad phone lines as non-operational. We are continuing to interrogate their purpose, the alternatives available and the actual impact on operational effectiveness. IC