MINISTER of Finance, Pravin Gordhan, has wiped the fried chicken grease off the chubby cheeks of the political elite, with initiatives which should save the country billions of rands and put an end to the plunder of state coffers. The measurers apply to all tiers of government from cabinet ministers to local government councillors.
As of 1 December there will be no more magic plastic to conjure up luxury hotels, exclusive cars, overseas junkets with lover in tow and buckets and buckets of fast food for family and cronies. And don’t forget the Johnnie Walker. Blue of course.
It has taken the government two years of discussions to come up with the perks cuts announced by Pravin Gordhan in his medium term budget policy review in the National Assembly.
Among the measures intended to trim the excesses of government fat cats are a recall of all official credit cards with immediate effect and no new ones to be issued.
Gordhan has placed a ban on Ministers travelling first class and no alcohol may be purchased with public funds. The cost of cars are to be standardised and hired vehicles will be in the B class, such as VW Polo Playas. There will also be no compensation for the use of private vehicles.
Ministers and their deputies waiting for official homes will be accommodated in rented apartments and not, (as is customary) luxury hotels.
Consultants and assistants would be limited to two individuals and budgets for advertising, catering and events are to be cut.
Bravo Mr Minister of Finance, but may we, (the plebs who pay and pay and pay) ask how government intends to police these laudable measures if they are not legislated. To claim that cabinet ministers will “of their own accord” derail the gravy train is wishful thinking. Unless the repercussions for non-compliance are dire and swift, to believe that people who have grown accustomed to the high life will not find a way around this pebble in their path is to underestimate the ingenuity of ministers and officials and is naïve in the extreme.
And an admiring public should be asking itself if the timing of these austerity measures are not an attempt to soft soap us all before the elections.
This obscene indulgence and blatant ransacking of taxpayers’ money has been obvious to us all for many years and it has taken an inordinately lengthy period to finally come up with a solution which should have been implemented in 1994.
But way back then we were all wearing rose-coloured spectacles and the rainbow was bright in the sky. We have grown up since then and our political leaders have grown fat. The surprising thing is that we have sat back and taken it, possibly too punch drunk from one scandalous revelation after another, that we are immune to the fact that we, the South African public, find life right now to be expensive and difficult, while our leaders make merry on our money.
