OSSU gets E6m second hand vehicles

MANZINI – Police have purchased three second hand armoured RG12 vehicles worth E2million each from a South African company for the Operational Support Service Unit (OSSU).

However, the police service states that this was because such a purchase would save government more money because a new one would have cost close to E4m each.
The police also defend the purchase of the second hand vehicles stating that they are ‘not second hand per se’ but they are reconditioned and all the other components are new except for the body.

The purchase of the three armoured vehicles worth E6million from Virleo Group Holdings in South Africa has raised questions as they have still not been registered by the Central Transport Administration (CTA).

Information gathered by the Times is that when they were brought to the country recently, they came already painted looking new.
When the vehicles were taken to CTA, they never had delivery notes, which saw them refusing to register the vehicles.
As of today the vehicles have not been registered pending the arrival of the delivery notes.
It was also gathered that unlike all government tenders, the police took a proposal to the Ministry of Finance for the purchasing of the armoured vehicles in South Africa.

When the Times inquired from the Ministry of Public Works and Transport’s Principal Secretary (PS) Paul Nkhambule on the matter, he said he was not aware anything, but would get information the soonest, a promise he kept. When he was called again he said he told this newspaper that he got feedback from the CTA’s General Transport Manager (GTM) Polycarp Dlamini.

He said he was told that it was not true that the vehicles were not registered because they were second hand, but it was because when they arrived in the country they were not accompanied by delivery notes.
“The rule of registering a vehicle is that all the papers must be submitted and I understand the police have called the supplier to bring the delivery notes.
“Once the delivery notes have been brought then CTA will continue with the process of registering the vehicles,” he said.
When the PS was asked if the vehicles were new, he said the feedback he got was that they were not brand new, but they were relatively new as they were special vehicles, not like an ordinary car.
Since PS Nkhambule had asked the Times to call him again as he was to meet GTM Dlamini over the matter, he was called again and he changed his tune.

He said: “What I said earlier, the registering was not hindered by the fact that the vehicles are old, it was because there were no delivery notes which are needed when vehicles are registered.
“The company had not brought the delivery notes, I don’t know how, the company however submitted the corrected delivery notes with the details that were needed.”

He asked the Times to call the police board that was responsible for acquiring the vehicles as information relayed to him is that they were working with the Ministry of Finance and CTA was roped in later.
He said what he got about the vehicles was that the body of the armoured vehicles was new except for the bullet proof sheet, which does not easily get worn-out.
The CTA’s GTM Dlamini confirmed that the armored vehicles could not be registered because there were no delivery notes.

He said they wrote a letter to the supplier on September 7, 2009, requesting that they submit the delivery notes which they were still waiting for.
“As soon as it arrives we will register them straight away,” he said.
Dlamini also noted that there was something faulty in the engine and chassis numbers.
The Finance PS Dumsani Masilela when called on how the vehicles were bought said they were bought through a tender waiver.
When the PS was asked for more information on the matter, he said he could not say much because the matter was a subject of an investigation by KPMG.

“My information is that they came here looking for information and I referred them to the responsible board, which I understand gave them everything that they needed,” he said.
Police Public Relations Officer Superintendent Vusi Masuku said the vehicles were ‘refurbished’, which he said was a language used.
“It is not in dispute the three multi-purpose armoured vehicles are reconstructed or reconditioned vehicles, hence new ones would have been too costly for government. The police service as end users wanted vehicles with a unique specification and of which they were identified. Officials from CTA proceeded to the supplier to conduct a professional inspection and also gave an approval for the whole process of reconditioning.
“The process of registration is underway and relevant documents will be received from the supplier anytime from now,” he said.

He said the supplier was a reputable one that had supplied many other countries with similar vehicles.
On the delay of the registration of the three vehicles, Masuku said the registration was in process as there were documents that were yet to be brought by the South African supplier.
When Masuku was told that the CTA’s GTM Dlamini was not aware how the three vehicles were purchased he sounded surprised.

He said as end users, the police once they identify something they then approach CTA which deals with auto machinery for government.
“In this case they went there and cross checked before approving them as refurbished armoured vehicles” said Masuku.
He said each new RG12 armoured vehicle costs about E4million and such an amount became expensive for government, which is why they purchased the re-conditioned.

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