CRIMINALS cost the police ministry R300 million every year to be fed.
This was revealed by Police Minister Bheki Cele on Saturday, 9 December, when he was attending the funeral service of kidnapped and murdered teenager Machaka Radebe in Bloemfontein, Free State.
The 16-year-old Machaka was found dead after her body was discovered by a passerby two days after she was reported missing.
Cele said every year they budget millions to feed criminals in holding cells and that they are further allocated legal aid to represent them in court.
He said this money could be used to build schools but instead criminals are benefitting from it.
"We budget R300 million per year to feed suspects in holding cells so that they can eat. As we arrest them, they also demand legal aid which will be paid by the state. These criminals find joy out of pain, and we can't allow any further deaths," said Cele.
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He said the recent kidnappings and killings of young girls and females in the Free State is a problem that needs to be stopped.
On Sunday, 10 December, while addressing the media in Tshwane, Cele said GBVF related crimes remain a priority for the SAPS and urged officers to continue to improve their services to victims and survivors of these crimes.
Machaka was the fourth young female to go missing in Bloemfontein in the past month. Another victim, 28-year-old Kelebogile Seramone’s body was found on 23 October, while 23-year-old Lerato Masiu and Mamello Motaung (22) are still missing.
Cele said it is, however, going to take everyone working together - families, law enforcement, civil society groupings, the clergy, the business community, and everyone in the country to win this fight on GBVF.
The minister called on citizens to report any suspicious activities and affirmed the police's commitment to tracing and apprehending perpetrators, securing lengthy jail terms for those convicted of GBVF crimes.
