Questions have been raised about the operational readiness of newly acquired law enforcement vehicles in the Buffalo City Metro (BCM), with claims that some of the vehicles cannot be used due to the absence of a maintenance plan.
In November last year, BCM mayor Princess Faku officially handed over six new police vans to the municipality’s law enforcement and traffic services division under the public safety and emergency services directorate.
The vehicles, valued at R3.3m, were unveiled during a public launch at the East London Esplanade.
At the time, the initiative was presented as part of efforts to strengthen road safety enforcement and improve emergency response capacity across the metro.
However, the GO! understands that at least four of these vehicles have recently not been deployed because they cannot be used until they undergo servicing.
BCM spokesperson Bongani Fuzile dismissed suggestions of a problem, describing the matter as part of normal operational processes.
“These are operational matters that are unfortunately being used for politicking,” Fuzile said.
He explained that law enforcement vehicles, like any operational fleet, required regular servicing and maintenance to remain safe and effective.
“It is therefore not unusual that some vehicles may be in our workshops at any given time for scheduled services or necessary repairs. This is a normal part of maintaining an operational fleet,” Fuzile said.
“We find it concerning that routine maintenance is now being framed as an issue, when in fact it reflects responsible fleet management and a commitment to ensuring that officers have safe and reliable vehicles.”
Fuzile said the municipality was unable to respond to additional questions contained in a detailed media inquiry, stating that they related to “internal operational matters”.
However, a law enforcement officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of not being authorised to speak to the media, alleged that four of the vehicles allocated to coastal areas, including East London, were currently parked at a municipal depot.
“We have newly bought vehicles that we are not allowed to use because they were bought without a maintenance plan,” the officer said.
According to the officer, the vehicles have already reached 15,000km, yet there is reportedly no maintenance plan or budget available for servicing them.
The officer further alleged that there were similar concerns regarding some vehicles in the traffic department.
Another BCM employee at law enforcement said “numerous” law enforcement vehicles had been taken to the Braelyn municipal garage for repairs.
“These cars have been there for a while. Most of them are broken, while some have flat tyres and are in no condition to be on the road,” the employee said.
The employee also alleged that officers sometimes had to share a single vehicle to respond to separate incidents, which could be challenging when dealing with emergency situations.
The vehicles were intended to strengthen a fleet expansion programme initiated earlier.
In October 2023, BCM purchased seven high-speed Volkswagen GTI vehicles for law enforcement and traffic services at a cost of R7m, aimed at improving road safety enforcement and response capabilities.
Political parties have also weighed in on the matter.
The EFF’s Mziyanda Hlekiso said his party would table a motion at the next council meeting regarding the state of the metro’s safety department.
“That department is not functional,” Hlekiso said.
“If you compare Johannesburg, which is run by the EFF under public safety MMC Dr Mgcini Tshwaku, to this metro, you will see that our safety department is dead. It is non-existent.”
He said there was no “political will” to address the serious safety issues facing the city.
“They don’t want to do anything for the people of Buffalo City. Ratepayers are taken for granted.
“To take vehicles without a maintenance plan is a waste of state resources,” he said.
Meanwhile, the UDM’s Anele Skoti said the situation pointed to a lack of proper planning before the vehicles were purchased.
“Things that happen in this metro will really leave you shocked. It is clear there was no proper planning for this.
“They just do things for the sake of doing them. It is clear corruption and wasteful expenditure,” Skoti said.
The DA’s Jason McDowell said when he recently requested assistance in his ward from BCM’s law enforcement unit, he was informed that no vehicles were available to respond.
“The new vehicles that were handed over late last year are currently parked and unusable, as they were purchased without a maintenance plan,” said McDowell.
“This situation is alarming. We are well aware of the history of fleet management in BCM and the ongoing issues with servicing vehicles.”
McDowell, who serves on the public safety and emergency services committee, said the decision to procure vehicles without a maintenance plan had effectively left them idle, undermining the very purpose for which they were acquired.
“I raised this matter in our last committee meeting, requesting clarity and answers to be provided at the next meeting,” he said.
“These vehicles are critical to protecting our communities, enforcing bylaws and safeguarding our already fragile infrastructure.
“The inability to deploy these vehicles directly impacts public safety and the effectiveness of law enforcement. This is a major concern that requires urgent attention and accountability.”
