President Cyril Ramaphosa seen on the steps of Parliament ahead of his State of The Nation Address on 13 February 2020. Picture: Jacques Nelles
While South Africa’s unemployment reaches new levels, government has spent millions of Rands in perks pertaining to the lifestyles and living arrangements of MPs.
According to a Sunday Times, around R51 million has been spent on pampering MPs at their state-owned houses in Cape Town.
This comes after the Ministerial Handbook was recently in the spotlight following revelations that President Cyril Ramaphosa scrapped the R5 000 limit on the amount that Cabinet members could claim for water and electricity.
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After public pressure, however, the president made a U-turn on this decision.
The Presidency announced on 17 October that the Ministerial Handbook, which outlines the perks of the job that ministers are entitled too, would be reviewed.
It seems as if government does not only support its MPs with housing, but also its furnishings.
Sunday Times revealed that close to R1.8 million was spent on new beds in 2019.
Further to this, government also spent R1.6 million on transport for the MPs and their children.
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They also are privileged to food subsidies, cell phone allowances, and free flights for their family members.
MPs – who pay R207 a month in rent – live in parliamentary villages such as Acacia Park in Goodwood, Laboria Park in Belhar and Pelican Park in Strandfontein,w
Parliament has 400 MPs, 64 of them serving as ministers and deputy ministers who do not stay in parliamentary villages.
Ministers – who pay R1,200 a month for rent – have two state-owned houses in Pretoria and Cape Town.
Ministers – enjoy the freedom to use a luxury vehicles up to R700 000 – are still entitled to free water and electricity to the value of R5 000.
The revelation has angered South Africans across the board who are continuing to battle with rising food and fuel prices as well as energy and water tariffs.
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According to the handbook, the provision reads: “The Department responsible for Public Works shall be responsible for the costs associated with the provision of water and electricity to a state-owned residence, provided that such cost is limited to R5 000 per month per state-owned residence. Any cost in excess of R5 000 per month per state-owned residence will be borne by the relevant member.”
The president himself has an official residence in Bryntirion Estate in Pretoria together with various Cabinet ministers.
Meanwhile, the Democratic Alliance (DA) has already confirmed that it will be challenging the legality of the Ministerial Handbook.
The DA said it wanted a review of how amendments are made to the Ministerial Handbook, arguing that it is a legally flawed process.
“There is no set process for the review of this handbook, there’s no process for tabling it in Parliament, for members of Parliament to approve or engage with these things, it’s entirely up to one man and that’s President Ramaphosa. Now I don’t think that is consistent with the kind of democracy that we want to build,” DA MP Leon Schreiber said.
Earlier this year, Ramaphosa’s annual salary and benefits increased by 3% from R2.99 million to R3.08 million, while the salary for Deputy President David Mabuza went to R2.91 million from R2.83 million.
In addition, ministers’ salaries were upped to R2.47 million annually, with deputy ministers earning R2.04 million.
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