Cape Town – The Department of Electricity in South Africa has revealed that taxpayers are paying approximately R13 million annually for the salaries of Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa and his staff.
The department disclosed this information in response to parliamentary questions from the Democratic Alliance (DA).
Ramokgopa’s office currently employs 12 staff members, and the minister himself earns over R2.4 million per year.
Two special advisers, Sarel Jacobs de la Rouviere and Silas Mzingeli Zimu, receive an annual cost of R2,158,533 each, while the lowest-paid member of the team, Elizabeth Selaelo Mosebedi, earns R125,373 for food services.
The DA criticised Ramokgopa’s appointment, stating that he received full ministerial perks for three months without demonstrating significant progress in addressing the country’s ongoing load-shedding crisis.
The party accused the appointment of being an example of cadre deployment, where individuals are given positions of power without sufficient accountability.
Load-shedding continues to adversely affect the South African economy and the lives of its citizens, the DA said.
Here is what the DA said in a statement:
During those three months, Ramokgopa admitted himself that he was nothing more than a project manager, reporting to other Ministers. Despite this, he received the full perks of a Minister, earning an exorbitant salary of R178 311 per month. Furthermore, he was entitled to a staff complement of 12 members, resulting in an annual cost of R10.7 million to the taxpayers.
In these three months of inactivity, Ramokgopa and his staffers cost hard-working South Africans over R3 million, with nothing to show for it except expensive sightseeing trips and luxury clothing. This is a classic example of cadre deployment at its worst, where individuals are appointed to positions of power without the necessary accountability and outside of existing structures.
Meanwhile, load-shedding continues to plague the country, wreaking havoc on the economy and the lives of ordinary South Africans. Despite being in office, Minister Ramokgopa has made no significant impact in developing viable solutions to end load-shedding, both now and in the future. The ANC government has proven time and again that they lack both the will and the capability to address this crucial issue.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
