Mchunu faces backlash over R120.8bn police budget

POLICE Minister Senzo Mchunu on Friday said the parties that did not support the budget for his department were unrealistic and reacting excessively.

- MAYIBONGWE MAQHINA

"Those who say they don't support the budget, what they mean is that in the areas and homes where they come from, they want us to withdraw the services that are there. Your reaction says what you say is unrealistic. It is being excessive unnecessarily," Mchunu said.

He made the statement when responding to the budget debate for SAPS, the Independent Police Investigative Directorate, and the Civilian Secretariat for Police Service after presenting the department’s R120.8 billion budget for 2025/26.

Mchunu said they appreciated the allocation, but was under no illusion about the scale of the task ahead.

"The work that needs to be done far exceeds the resources available. Crime is adaptive, dynamic and, in many cases, well-financed and so must our response be."