Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni says she continues to experience load shedding at her state-owned house in Cape Town like everyone else does in their households.
Ntshavheni said there is currently no generator at her state-owned house in Cape Town.
The minister was speaking on Thursday at a post-cabinet meeting media briefing taking place at the GCIS House offices in Hatfield, Pretoria.
Cabinet held its meeting on Wednesday.
Private residence
During the question-and-answer session the minister was asked about her previous views on the issue. That ministers do not have generators in their state-owned houses in Pretoria. These installed by the department of public works and infrastructure.
Ntshavheni said: “The question of generators… unfortunately, in Pretoria I reside in my private residence.
State-owned residence still load-shed
“I would not know. But in Cape Town, maybe [the department] is still going to install a generator in my [state-owned] house. My lived experience is that I do not have a generator in my [state-owned] house in Cape Town.
“I am still load-shed like any other person. Maybe they are still en route [to install the generator]. My lived experience is that I still have load shedding in Cape Town. In my Pretoria house, it is a private residence, which is not up for public scrutiny. I cannot comment on other people’s houses.”
R7m for power back-up systems for ministers’ houses
Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Sihle Zikalala in March last year explained the situation regarding ministers’ houses.
He said that government had spent R7,040,000m since June 2019 on alternative power supply systems.
These were installed at 97 homes of ministers and their deputies in Pretoria. Zikalala was responding to questions from DA MP Leon Schreiber then.
The alternative power supply included generators, inverters, and solar systems.
R7,9m for water supply to ministers’ houses
The state had also spent R7,9m to supply water to the ministers’ homes between 2019 and last year.
Meanwhile, Ntshavheni said the South African government has not yet discussed the closure of the State of Israel embassy in South Africa. This is despite parliament passing a motion three months ago for it to be closed.
Ntshavheni said the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) has yet to submit the matter to cabinet for discussion. She said this in response to questions about when the Israeli embassy will be closed.
Question on closure of Israel embassy
“Cabinet has not discussed the motion. There is a separation of powers between parliament and cabinet.
“Cabinet must come to its decision on its own. In parliament yesterday [Wednesday] the minister of Dirco [Naledi Pandor] was responding to this question [on closure of Israeli Embassy]. She said the matter on parliament’s resolution to close the embassy has not been submitted to cabinet for cabinet to discuss it,” said Ntshavheni. Pandor said Dirco has not yet submitted parliament’s resolution to cabinet for discussion.
In November last year, parliament’s National Assembly passed a motion for the Israeli embassy in South Africa to be closed.
The South African government also withdrew all its diplomats from Tel Aviv for “consultation” in November. This amid the ongoing war between Israel and Palestine.
