Cape Town – At least R7 million has been spent on providing alternative power supply to ministers’ official residencies since June 2019, according Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Sihle Zikalala.
This comes as South Africans continue to suffer under load shedding.
The Citizen reports that Zikalala confirmed that his department had spent more than R18.3 million on electricity for ministers’ and their deputies’ homes in Cape Town, while R7.4 million had been forked out for water.
He said the Public Works Department had spent R7 million on procuring and installing alternative power supply systems for the Pretoria houses.
Zikalala disclosed the figures in response to questions from DA Member of Parliament Leon Schreiber, and acknowledged that South Africans had every right to be angry, My Broadband reported.
“Yes, it’s a point. It’s a valid one. It needs to be considered; we should all ensure that we save all resources.
“It’s a cry that should be noted, especially in the current situation; it’s a cry that we should not downplay,” the report quoted Zikalala as saying.
Last year, it was revealed that ministers and their deputies were exempted from paying rates and had unlimited free water and electricity. It was said at the time that they were entitled to the perks as members of the executive.
This was after President Cyril Ramaphosa changed the rules of Cabinet’s perks.
Earlier this month, the then minister of public works and infrastructure Patricia de Lille revealed that ANC ministers and their deputies were living in state-owned mansions worth a total of almost R1 billion.
Responding to a written parliamentary question from Schreiber on ministerial houses, she said ministers and deputy ministers resided in 97 public-funded homes in Cape Town and Pretoria worth more than R967 million collectively.
In Cape Town, 26 ministers and 32 deputy ministers lived in state-owned residences, while in Pretoria, the numbers were 14 and 25, respectively, De Lille said.
De Lille said the mansions in Cape Town were worth almost R830 million while the ones in Pretoria were worth almost R137 million.
Schreiber said the DA had since asked the Public Protector’s office to investigate whether the perks for Cabinet ministers were legal.
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