R197.4 million Traffic Police Airwing procurement scandal

A R197.4 million Traffic Police Airwing contract awarded to Simunye Air Charter was found to have breached the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA).

This was revealed by Michael Sun, a member of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature, citing a written reply by Premier Panyaza Lesufi about the issue.

Lesufi launched the Gauteng Traffic Police Airwing on 1 April 2024 to strengthen law enforcement and give officers an aerial advantage in the fight against crime.

However, two years later, the grounding of the Gauteng Traffic Police Airwing has left Gauteng residents with no meaningful safety benefit.

A written reply by Lesufi to questions posed in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature (GPL) revealed the extent of the procurement scandal.

The helicopter contract, valued at R197,455,554.30 and awarded to Simunye Air Charter, has breached the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA).

The contract also contravened the Treasury Regulations and the applicable national Transversal Contract.

The Auditor-General’s findings led to the contract’s termination on 6 January 2026, and the case has been referred to the Special Investigating Unit (SIU).

Gauteng taxpayers had already paid out R156,454,504.65. This money was spent before a red flag was formally raised.

“Four individuals have been implicated, and all Gauteng officials involved in selecting the service provider are now flagged as persons of interest,” Sun said.

“However, more than six months on, not one of them has faced a disciplinary hearing. Not one has been suspended.”

Sun said that all the implicated officials remain in their posts, on full pay, while the SIU investigation runs its course.

“With this situation, the Lesufi-led government cannot expect the public to have confidence in its fight against crime,” he said.

“Officials implicated in a procurement failure of R197 million should not remain in their positions without consequence.”

He added that this failure has an operational impact on the fight against crime in South Africa’s richest province.

“With the Airwing’s own fleet grounded, the province is relying on 12 helicopters provided by other partners to maintain aerial support,” he said.

Sun urged Lesufi to suspend implicated officials and ensure a transparent SIU investigation into the R156.4 million paid under the irregular contract.

He further called for a timely re-procurement of the Airwing fleet through proper channels with regular oversight.