Note to Editors: Attached please find a soundbite in English here by Michael Sun MPL.
• R197.4m Airwing contract breached procurement rules, with R156.4m already paid.
• Four officials implicated, but none suspended or disciplined.
• Airwing grounded, forcing Gauteng to rely on borrowed 12 helicopters at an undisclosed cost.
Premier Panyaza Lesufi’s record of failing in community safety continues with the exposure of a R197.4 million procurement scandal that has grounded the Gauteng Traffic Police Airwing. Lesufi launched the Gauteng Traffic Police Airwing on 01 April 2024 to strengthen law enforcement and give officers an aerial advantage in the fight against crime. Yet, less than two years later, the grounding of the Gauteng Traffic Police Airwing has left Gauteng residents with no meaningful safety benefit from a programme meant to enhance policing.
After the Public Protector found the establishment of Lesufi’s Crime Prevention Wardens (Amapanyaza) was irregular and unlawful, this procurement scandal once again emphasises the costly implications of Lesufi’s strategy of acting for political mileage before putting proper governance processes in place.
A written reply by Premier Panyaza Lesufi to questions posed by the Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature (GPL) reveals the extent of the procurement scandal. The helicopter contract, valued at R197,455,554.30 and awarded to Simunye Air Charter, was found to have breached the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA), Treasury Regulations and the applicable national Transversal Contract.
The Auditor-General’s findings led to the contract’s termination on January 6, 2026, and the case has been referred to the Special Investigating Unit (SIU). But by then, Gauteng taxpayers had already paid out R156,454,504.65. This money was spent before a single red flag was formally raised.
See reply here.
Four individuals have been implicated, and all Gauteng officials involved in selecting the service provider are now flagged as persons of interest. Yet more than six months on, not one of them has faced a disciplinary hearing. Not one has been suspended. They remain in their posts, on full pay, while the SIU investigation runs its course.
This is unacceptable. The Lesufi-led government cannot expect the public to have confidence in its fight against crime when officials implicated in a procurement failure of almost R200 million remain in their positions without consequence. The failure is also having a direct operational impact. With the Airwing’s own fleet grounded, the province is relying on 12 helicopters provided by other partners to maintain aerial support.
Gauteng taxpayers deserve to know what this temporary arrangement is costing them and how much more they will have to pay as a result of this procurement failure.
The DA urges Premier Lesufi to suspend implicated officials, ensure a transparent SIU investigation into the R156.4 million paid under the irregular contract, quickly re-procure the Airwing fleet through proper channels, and provide regular oversight. Additionally, we have tabled follow-up questions to the Premier, who must fully disclose the costs of using 12 borrowed helicopters.
The DA-led Gauteng Provincial Government would have ensured that the Airwing complied fully with the PFMA, Treasury regulations and the applicable Transversal Contract from the outset. We would also take steps to ensure that officials implicated in irregular procurement are held accountable, while also pursuing the recovery of any improperly spent public funds.