New electricity minister could cost SA R37.2 million a year

DA Shadow Minister for Public Service and Administration, Leon Schreiber, has lashed out at President Cyril Ramaphosa’s plans to include another ministerial portfolio to his Cabinet, stating that it would likely cost taxpayers an extra R37.24 million, making a significant dent in the country’s fiscus.

Based on calculations derived from allocations to ministers as stipulated in the Ministerial Handbook, Schreiber has provided an estimated minimum cost to taxpayers that the new ministry will bring.

A breakdown of the DA’s calculations below:

Schreider states that the salary of the minister will likely be set at R2.4 million per year, and the deputy minister’s salary at a R2 million per year.

“And don’t forget the four luxury vehicles (two for the minister and two for the deputy) that will be purchased using taxpayers’ money, at a combined cost of R3.2 million. Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana has quietly increased the cap on vehicle costs to R800 000 each,” he said.

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“These new Cabinet cadres will, of course, also get free water and electricity at each of their two official residences (in Pretoria and Cape Town) up to a maximum cost of R60 000 per year, per house – for a total of R240 000,” he added.

Official residences

Schreiber said that the figure does not even include the cost of the four official residences these cadres will occupy, the domestic and international trips they will take, as well as the cost of renting more offices and hiring staff that will report to the minister.

Schreiber said that Ramaphosa was adding insult to injury by choosing to “abuse the load shedding crisis to create more cushy jobs for useless cadres”.

President Cyril Ramaphosa at the State of the Nation Address for 2023 announced that as part of the ANC government’s strategy to tackle the energy crisis in the country, he would be appointing a Minister of Electricity.

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“To deal more effectively and urgently with the challenges that confront us, I will appoint a Minister of Electricity in the Presidency to assume full responsibility for overseeing all aspects of the electricity crisis response, including the work of the National Energy Crisis Committee.

“The Minister will focus full-time and work with the Eskom board and management on ending load shedding and ensuring that the Energy Action Plan is implemented without delay,” he said.