Neelam Rahim | neelam@radioislam.co.za

3-minute read
31 March 2023 | 20:44 CAT

Photo credit – TimesLIVE

The government spends millions of tax-payers money on generators and inverters for them at their official homes – despite essential facilities such as hospitals and schools struggling to keep the lights on. New Public Works Minister Sihle Zikalala revealed this in response to written questions by DA MP Leon Schreiber. It emerged that the public works department had spent more than R7 million on procuring generators and inverters at ministerial homes in Pretoria’s affluent suburbs, such as Waterkloof, since 2019.

Over a week ago, the Minister in the Presidency, Khimbudzo Ntshavheni, called the accusation that ministerial houses are free from loadshedding a fallacy, which Schreiber argues has been proved untrue.

Schreiber told Radio Islam International the DA had obtained information indicating that 7 million rands had been spent on generators and inverters for the ministerial mansions. An additional figure of 18 million rands was spent on the payment of electricity for ministerial and deputy ministerial homes in Cape Town, and another 22 million rands were spent on free water and electricity on 39 mansions in Pretoria.

“We now have it on black and white that the very same ministers and deputies who created the load-shedding crisis are using tax-payer money to escape the consequences of that crisis,” Schreiber said.

According to Schreiber, The DA is challenging the Ministerial handbook and has approached the Public Protector as it is a document with no basis in law and is illegal.

Meanwhile, Members of the Cabinet receive salaries two and a half times bigger than parliament members at around 2.4 million rands a year for a minister’s salary.

The average South African salary takes care of water, electricity bills, and other measures within their capacity. However, through the Ministerial Handbook, Ministers are provided free water, electricity, and housing, including accessible luxury vehicles, VIP security and staff members who serve everything from cleaning their houses to managing their lives.

“We are forced to pay twice for the lifestyles of what the DA terms as ‘Rockstar Ministers, who live like rockstars’ while the country is suffering,” he added.

Listen to the full interview with Annisa Essack on Your World Today.