Ramaphosa has the power to sanction Ministers who waste public funds on bloated private offices

20 August 2018

With the increasing cost of living, a stagnant economy, and almost 10 million unemployed South Africans, the packed private offices of the failing ANC- led government is set to cost R1.2 billion per annum by 2020/21.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has repeatedly promised to address government excesses, yet he has failed to address this issue with any seriousness.

By immediately signing the revised Ministerial Handbook, President Ramaphosa can ensure those who do not adhere to the stipulated 10 people per private office are held to account and properly sanctioned.

While Minister of Public Service and Administration, Ayanda Dlodlo, has written to President Cyril Ramaphosa to intervene in the number of people appointed to Minister’s private offices, she too must be held to account given that she took a similar stance when she was Minister of Home Affairs.

Between October 2017 and February 2018, Minister Dlodlo’s private office at Home Affairs contained 16 employees instead of the 10 allowed and this cost the public more than R11 million.

The Ministerial Handbook currently recommends that Ministers’ offices be limited to 10. However, Ministers such as former Minister of Public Service and Administration, Faith Muthambi, who had 26 people in her office, have blatantly ignored this.

These actions clearly show that the ANC is not sympathetic to the plight of many South Africans but only driven by the desire to advance their own motives of cronyism.

The daily struggle to put food on the table is only getting harder, with millions not able to do this. South Africans should not be forced to tighten their belt when the ANC government is seemingly doing the exact opposite and passing the cost on to ordinary citizens.

Issued by Desiree van der Walt, DA Shadow Minister of Public Service and Administration, 20 August 2018