Public funded mansions occupied by ministers and their deputies in Cape Town and Pretoria are collectively worth over R967 million.
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This was revealed in a parliamentary question submitted by DA spokesperson on public service and administration, Leon Schreiber, to Public Works Minister Patricia de Lille.
In response to the request for information, the minister said that at least 97 mansions were currently occupied in the two cities, with 26 ministers and 32 deputies living in state-owned residences in Cape Town alone.
“The homes in Cape Town are currently worth nearly R830m, while the homes in Pretoria are valued at R137m,” said Schreiber. “On average, each ministerial house is valued at nearly R10m. This means that every ANC minister and deputy minister currently lives in two mansions (one in Cape Town and one in Pretoria) valued at a collective R20m – all courtesy of South African taxpayers.”
According to the DA, they also receive free water and electricity, estimated to cost about R5,000 per month, and R2.6 million was spent on generators to shield the ministers from loadshedding.
The DA MPL acknowledged that it is a global practice for top government leaders such as the president, deputy president, and premiers to occupy official residences but questioned exactly why ANC top officials should continue to live like “rock stars” considering the collapse of every department on their watch.
“This is compounded by the apparent fact that the ministerial handbook is itself illegal, as there is no provision in law that provides for the existence of a handbook that doles out almost R1 billion in houses to Cabinet cadres.”
“That is why the DA has filed a complaint with the public protector to investigate whether the perks handed out to cadres in terms of the handbook are indeed illegal.”
“To stop this abuse of taxpayers, the DA has also already published the party’s intention to introduce an amendment to the Remuneration of Public Office Bearers Act that would make the ministerial handbook subject to full parliamentary oversight,” said Schreiber.
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Picture: @PatriciaDeLille / Twitter