ActionSA parliamentary caucus leader Athol Trollip has announced the Cabinet Reform Package and Zero-Tolerance Corruption Bill as pieces of legislation aimed at reshaping South Africa’s landscape and tackling rampant corruption.
Trollip said that these initiatives would mark the most significant overhaul of the cabinet since 1994.
“This will mark the most significant overhaul of the executive since 1994 and represent the most radical reform of key legislation aimed at combating corruption in South Africa,” he said.
“ActionSA is committed to being a constructive opposition that punches far above its weight and leverages its legislative access to drive meaningful reforms.”
He explained that the Cabinet Reform Package targets the bloated structure of the cabinet, which has been criticised for its excessive spending and wasteful perks.
President Cyril Ramaphosa raised eyebrows when he increased the size of the executive to 77 from 65 members at a time when critics are calling for a downsized executive.
Trollip claimed that deputy ministers were only good at spending taxpayers’ money on travel.
Bloated executive
Currently, he said, the country is burdened by a government that includes 32 ministers and 43 deputy ministers, many of whom have large staff complements and extravagant allowances.
According to Trollip, this comes at a cost of about R1.5-billion a year in taxpayer funds, money that could be better spent elsewhere, especially as South Africa faces a growing fiscal crisis.
He said the first key proposal in the Cabinet Reform Package is the abolition of deputy ministers, a move that would require a constitutional amendment.
By amending Section 91 (cabinet) and repealing Section 93 (deputy ministers), ActionSA seeks to streamline the executive branch by cutting down on unnecessary positions that only contribute to the government’s excessive spending.
“ActionSA will be tabling a constitutional amendment to abolish deputy ministers entirely from the cabinet structure.
“This will close the taps on executive wastage and bring an end to the indulgence in wasteful perks,” he added.
Extravagant allowances
He said ActionSA will propose a new law requiring parliament to ratify cabinet appointments within a specified timeframe.
This will introduce a system of parliamentary vetting for ministerial appointments, significantly enhancing transparency and oversight of the executive.
Trollip also reintroduced the Cut Cabinet Perks Bill, which he said was previously abandoned by the DA after it joined the ANC in the government of national unity (GNU), and became beneficiaries of these same perks.
The bill aims to drastically reduce the extravagant allowances, travel expenses, and VIP protection afforded to ministers, which ActionSA says have been particularly egregious.
“As seen in our GNU performance tracker, just over half of the ministers have blown R143.5-million on travel alone in the first few months since their appointment in July 2024,” he said.
Another legislative action announced is the Zero-Tolerance Corruption Bill, which is designed to tackle the gaps in the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act (Precca).
Trollip argues that while Precca made strides in the fight against corruption, its effectiveness has been undermined by loopholes, particularly in the definition of corruption and accountability.
Harsh penalties for corruption
“The Zero-Tolerance Corruption Bill aims to close these gaps. We will expand the definition of corruption to explicitly include the abuse of political power, price gouging in public procurement, and gross negligence, ensuring that there are no safe spaces for corrupt activities to go unchecked.”
The bill also includes stringent penalties for corruption-related offenses, including mandatory minimum sentences of 15 years in jail for corruption involving transactions exceeding R500 000, with no possibility of parole or a fine.
Private sector corruption will also be addressed, with provisions for mandatory repayment of illicit funds and additional punitive penalties for corporate entities found guilty of corrupt practices.
He said a key aspect of the bill is its provision for permanent disqualification for anyone convicted of corruption, preventing them from holding public office, working for the state or non-profit organisations, or participating in political parties.
“These overdue reforms should gain the support of all parties who profess to want to cut waste and fight corruption.
“This will become a defining set of legislative actions that reinforces parliament’s viral role in our constitutional democracy, where the best interests of South Africans are always put first,” he added.
