Pretoria – Minister in The Presidency, Mondli Gungubele, said a neutral structure will be established to assess the benefits of members of the executive, following a public outcry in reaction to news that unlimited free water and electricity was being provided to the bigwigs.
Addressing a post-Cabinet media briefing at the GCIS centre in Pretoria, Gungubele said the withdrawal of the amendments in the ministerial handbook, which provided for unlimited utilities at state residences, was endorsed.
“On the withdrawal of the amendments to the Guide for Members of the Executive, Cabinet endorsed the announcement made by the Presidency on Monday to withdraw the amendments made to the… ministerial handbook for 2022,” he said.
“The amendments that were made in April 2022 provided for additional capacity to some of the offices of the ministers who are responsible for more than one portfolio.
“They also required the State to take over full responsibility for the costs associated with the provision of electricity and water to official residences occupied by members of the executive,” he said.
The minister said the public disquiet had been noted.
“Cabinet noted the concerns raised by the public and resolved to review the Guide for Members of the Executive. This process will be handled by a neutral structure and once completed, the guide will be made public through the Department of Public Service and Administration’s website,” said Gungubele.
Earlier this week, President Cyril Ramaphosa made an about-turn on the newly approved amendments to the ministerial handbook, saying the free perks and benefits for Cabinet ministers would be reviewed.
Speaking at a media briefing on Monday, Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, said Ramaphosa had ordered the withdrawal process of the ministerial handbook for 2022.
“The withdrawal will give effect to the 2019 version of the executive guide pending a review,” he said.
The U-turn on the amendments made in the ministerial handbook came in the wake of public outrage after it emerged that amendments were away from public scrutiny.
It was reported last week that ministers and their deputies didn’t pay for water and electricity. It was also reported that the ministerial handbook had increased the number of personal staff serving the Cabinet members to 15 people, up from 11 when the handbook was last changed in 2019.
A complaint was also lodged with the office of the public protector on the matter amid growing outrage from parties and civil society groups.
Cosatu added its voice to the uproar over the revelations that members of the executive, including Cabinet ministers and their deputies, didn’t pay for electricity and water while living in official residences owned by the state.
It had also been confirmed that the official residences of members of the executive are exempt from load shedding.
The trade union federation, which is aligned to the ANC, said it was time for the bigwigs to foot the bill for water and electricity used by their families.
“The ministerial handbook is a piece of paper for bureaucratic compliance but it doesn’t mean it is ethically right or it is morally correct. It is just political madness. Our ministers are paid a huge amount of money.
“They are paid about R2.5 million per year, about R200 000 per month. Surely, they can afford to cough up a thousand rand to pay for their electricity bills like the rest of society,” Cosatu parliamentary co-ordinator Matthew Parks told SABC News.
“It really is just politically insensitive and it comes against a backdrop where government has allowed Eskom, in different administrations, to be run into the ground.”
Founding secretary-general of the SA Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu), Zwelinzima Vavi, said he was “disgusted, but not surprised” at the government’s explanation for their state privileges.
“We are in the situation of the Animal Farm. If you look at the statement of the government, it is the most worrying statement we will ever come across,” he told eNCA.
“Basically, the government says we are not providing these free water and electricity services to people residing in their private residences, but we are providing to those we are also giving free houses.
“The houses are provided by the taxpayer and (the government is saying) we feel that there is nothing wrong with us giving them free houses, free electricity, free water, free rates that the municipality would have demanded if these were just ordinary people. And they see nothing wrong.”
He said it was ridiculous for the government, in that same statement, to urge the public to pay for services.
“Can you believe it, that we live in a country where the ministers are simply living in their ivory towers, completely isolated from the crisis that is unfolding in the country?
“They were here when Saftu and countless other working-class formations staged a 24-hour national shutdown. People are saying they can no longer afford to live in this country. The cost of living is escalating beyond their salaries and government pensions,” he said.
The Department of Public Service and Administration, through its spokesperson Moses Mushi, had stated that the members of the executives didn’t pay for utilities at the official residences in Pretoria or in Cape Town, because they had to be “available to serve the nation” at all times.
“Government provides them with the official residences, because we expect them to be available to the nation 24 hours without any disturbances or excuses to be able to go into communities at anytime. As such, the government provides the official residences for them as members of the executive,” he said.
