EFF statement on outrageous costs of bloated Cabinet
15 October 2024
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) condemns the outrageous and unsustainable costs of the bloated cabinet under the DA-ANC coalition government, which is burdening South African taxpayers to the tune of R600 million annually. This bloated so-called government of national unity (GNU) is yet another betrayal of the South African people, perpetuating the cycle of corruption, wasteful expenditure, and gross mismanagement, which has become synonymous with the ANC.
Despite endless promises of leaner, more efficient governance, what we witness today is the exact opposite. Under this administration, the number of ministers and their deputies has ballooned to 32 ministers and 43 deputies, this is from 28 ministers and 34 deputy ministers in Cyril Ramaphosa's 2019 cabinet. Creating a bloated bureaucracy serves no purpose other than to protect political patronage and enrich the political elite at the expense of the masses.
This abuse of the public purse is not only an affront to ordinary South Africans but also a clear reflection of the coalition between the DA and the ANC, which has become a vehicle for self-enrichment, protecting white privilege while maintaining a stranglehold over the country's resources.
Take the case of DA leader John Steenhuisen, who, in his capacity as Agriculture Mnister, has a staff complement of 18 people, costing R14.2 million annually. What does this cabinet, with its oversized staff, do for the suffering people of this country?
Steenhuisen's office is yet another example of the hypocrisy of the DA, which preaches austerity but is complicit in extravagant government spending when it suits their interests.
Simultaneously, Steenhuisen wants to employ staff that do not even meet the minimum requirements for the job. Similarly unqualified and therefore leaning on white privilege, he was gearing up his cadres to earn RI ,2 million a year. And yet his party, the DA, consistently calls for the scraping of the measly R3 500 minimum wage in favour of slave labour.
The Ministry of International Relations, headed by Ronald Lamola, has been allocated R15 million for 22 officials, while the Ministry of Labour, led by Nomakhosazana Meth, is squandering RI 7.8 million on 23 staff members. It is particularly egregious that deputy ministers, who serve no essential purpose, also have their own private office support staff, adding millions more to the taxpayer burden.
These appointments are not made in the interest of the people but to serve as patronage networks, ensuring loyalty to the political elite while the country crumbles under the weight of corruption and economic mismanagement. This grotesque misallocation of funds could be redirected to critical sectors that need urgent attention, such as education, healthcare, infrastructure development, and job creation; all departments that are experiencing severe budget cuts.
The EFF reiterates that there is no justification for this bloated cabinet, and we have consistently called for the eradication of deputy ministers whose positions are clearly redundant. The interests of the people demand a smaller, more efficient government that prioritises service delivery over political patronage. We call on the South African public to see this for what it truly is — the DA and ANC colluding to maintain their positions of power and influence, while ordinary South Africans bear the brunt of their corruption and greed.
Issued by Leigh-Ann Mathys, National Spokesperson, EFF, 15 October 2024
