Sign up to save your podcasts
Or
Share DA wants Ministerial handbook scrapped
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Or
DA wants Ministerial handbook scrapped
The Democratic Alliance (DA) will file a complaint with the Public Protector, calling for the abolition of the Ministerial handbook, which sets out the perks that Ministers and deputies are entitled to.
Recent media reports suggested that Ministers and deputies were now entitled to free water and electricity, following amendments made to the handbook by President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Government has since clarified that the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure will be responsible for water and electricity costs at State-owned residences.
DA Shadow Minister for Public Service and Administration Dr Leon Schreiber said his party had spent years exposing and fighting back against the abuse of taxpayer money contained in the ministerial handbook, which provided benefits to Ministers who are already paid R2.4-million a year.
“But as the public outcry following the DA’s latest revelations confirms, President Cyril Ramaphosa has now gone a step too far. Forcing South Africans to pay the private electricity and water bills for the very same Ministers who have robbed citizens of access to these critical services is a slap in the face that the people will not accept,” Schreiber said.
He said the party’s complaint to the Public Protector challenged the legality of the Ministerial handbook in its entirety, as the DA’s own legal research suggested that there was no law that made provision for the handbook to even exist.
“While the handbook – formally entitled the ‘Guide for Members of the Executive’ – notes that ‘Members are required at all times to ensure compliance with the Executive Ethics Code,’ there is no provision in the Code or in any other law allowing for the existence of a handbook that gives the President dictatorial powers to force taxpayers to pay for the perks of Cabinet members. The handbook, therefore, appears to exist ultra vires – outside of the Constitution and the law,” highlighted Schreiber.
He explained that because there was no law governing the existence of the handbook, Parliament had no authority to exercise oversight or approve the contents of the handbook.
He went on to say the President was completely unaccountable for the way in which he forced taxpayers to fund the “ANC gravy train”.
The DA believes that Parliament should decide on cases where certain benefits, such as security measures or transport for official duties, may be warranted.
“Should the Public Protector confirm that the Ministerial handbook is indeed unlawful in its entirety, it would mean that Ramaphosa and all of his ANC predecessors have for decades illegally taken hundreds of millions of rands from taxpayers in order to fund the luxury lifestyles of multi-millionaire cadres,” Schreiber stated.
View all episodes
By PolityThe Democratic Alliance (DA) will file a complaint with the Public Protector, calling for the abolition of the Ministerial handbook, which sets out the perks that Ministers and deputies are entitled to.
Recent media reports suggested that Ministers and deputies were now entitled to free water and electricity, following amendments made to the handbook by President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Government has since clarified that the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure will be responsible for water and electricity costs at State-owned residences.
DA Shadow Minister for Public Service and Administration Dr Leon Schreiber said his party had spent years exposing and fighting back against the abuse of taxpayer money contained in the ministerial handbook, which provided benefits to Ministers who are already paid R2.4-million a year.
“But as the public outcry following the DA’s latest revelations confirms, President Cyril Ramaphosa has now gone a step too far. Forcing South Africans to pay the private electricity and water bills for the very same Ministers who have robbed citizens of access to these critical services is a slap in the face that the people will not accept,” Schreiber said.
He said the party’s complaint to the Public Protector challenged the legality of the Ministerial handbook in its entirety, as the DA’s own legal research suggested that there was no law that made provision for the handbook to even exist.
“While the handbook – formally entitled the ‘Guide for Members of the Executive’ – notes that ‘Members are required at all times to ensure compliance with the Executive Ethics Code,’ there is no provision in the Code or in any other law allowing for the existence of a handbook that gives the President dictatorial powers to force taxpayers to pay for the perks of Cabinet members. The handbook, therefore, appears to exist ultra vires – outside of the Constitution and the law,” highlighted Schreiber.
He explained that because there was no law governing the existence of the handbook, Parliament had no authority to exercise oversight or approve the contents of the handbook.
He went on to say the President was completely unaccountable for the way in which he forced taxpayers to fund the “ANC gravy train”.
The DA believes that Parliament should decide on cases where certain benefits, such as security measures or transport for official duties, may be warranted.
“Should the Public Protector confirm that the Ministerial handbook is indeed unlawful in its entirety, it would mean that Ramaphosa and all of his ANC predecessors have for decades illegally taken hundreds of millions of rands from taxpayers in order to fund the luxury lifestyles of multi-millionaire cadres,” Schreiber stated.