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Politicians Exempt from Paying Utility Fees

by Thaabit Kamaar
Photo by [Bloomberg]

 

The Democratic Alliance discovered amendments to the Ministerial Handbook which exempt government officials from paying electricity and water tariffs.

The Guide for Members of the Executive, as it is officially known, is a document outlining a code of ethics, benefits, and allowances to which Ministers, Deputy Ministers, Premiers, MECs and their families are entitled.

This amendment, approved by President Ramapahosa, sparked national outrage as it comes off the back of water and electricity tariff increases that took effect in April of this year.

The DA, specified on its website, that it intends to file a complaint with the Public Protector for the abolition of the handbook in its entirety.

The oppositional party states there is no organisation governing the President’s authority over the handbook’s contents. It allows him to amend it without informing the public or Parliament.

 

More Than Pieces of Cloth

Contents of the Handbook

According to Dr Dale Mckinley, an economic and political analyst, the state kept the ministerial handbook a secret until civil society organisations pressured them to make it public.

They found a detailed description of multiple costly perks enjoyed by government officials at taxpayers’ expense. Some of these perks include housing and car allowances, paid trips for politicians and their families and payments for domestic workers and security guards.

South Africans have been forced to endure a difficult period this year. Many believe the amendment to the document is a step too far since politicians already earn millions per annum with their multiple allowances. Amongst said perks, their homes do not experience load-shedding like the rest of the country. As such, this amendment displays the greed of politicians when it comes to public funds.

Dr Mckinley said, “I think what makes people very angry is the fact that while we have been told to tighten our belts, while we have been loadshed, while we in Johannesburg have been watershed for the last month and while we’re having massive price rises in fuel and inflation across the board, our politicians are living it up and are not having to take any of this pain.”

 

Political Culture of South Africa

This new amendment was done without public knowledge, gesturing to the ever-widening gap between the people and the state. Dr Mckinley said the political culture in South Africa is no longer about serving the people. Instead, corruption has fuelled the need for self-enrichment and advancement.

“We’ve got a situation where our politicians have gotten so far away from ordinary people, I don’t think they understand what people are going through, and that’s a danger. So, when there’s such a gap that exists between ordinary folks and people at the top of the political and economic pyramid, we see what happens. We have social conflict, we have constant unpredictability in our society, and we have a situation where ordinary people are asked to pay the price while the [politicians] live it large.”

However, the Zondo Commission and civil society organisations have given whistleblowers opportunities to shed light on corrupt activities.

He believes change is possible in the upcoming national elections. But warns that change is a gradual process. It would be up to ordinary citizens to come together and take charge where the government has failed, become active in civil society, and vote to remove the failing ANC government from office.

 

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