The DA has thrown its weight behind political nemesis ActionSA’s reintroduction of the Cut Cabinet Perks Bill, saying it is necessary and will receive full consideration.
This follows ActionSA’s decision to reintroduce the bill after the DA did not revive it when it lapsed at the end of the previous parliamentary term.
The seventh administration, governed under the Government of National Unity, currently has a large cabinet with 34 ministers, some departments having two deputy ministers.
The bill was originally introduced by the DA’s Leon Schreiber to prevent the president from using taxpayers’ money to fund perks for ministers and deputy ministers.
Karabo Khakhau, DA spokesperson, told Sunday World that the bill was not immediately revived as the party wanted to incorporate insights gained from within government to refine its provisions.
“The DA has, within our own departments, implemented numerous cost-cutting measures over the last seven months. However, these cuts alone will not generate the investment and savings needed to grow the economy.
“To this effect, the DA has made and continues to make extensive proposals in the current budget process.
“We’ve also said that if the composition of the cabinet were strictly in our power, we wouldn’t have it this big,” said Khakhau.
Unchecked ministerial spending
She added that reconsidering the bill was not a challenge, as it closely mirrors the DA’s original proposal.
Alan Beesley, an ActionSA MP, said the bill aims to end the “billion-rand bloated cabinet’s rockstar lifestyle”.
He stressed that it would curb unchecked ministerial spending, limit the president’s unilateral control over the ministerial handbook, and reduce wasteful expenditure.
“The bill proposes to amend the Remuneration of Public Office Bearers Act, 1998, by ending the president’s unilateral authority to secretly amend the ministerial handbook without oversight.
“It would require the president to seek approval from the Independent Commission for the Remuneration of Public Office Bearers for any proposed changes and to consider prevailing economic conditions,” said Beesley.
The bill also seeks to require the president to report any amendments to the National Assembly and ensure an immediate review, followed by a review every five years, of the perks allocated to the President and cabinet members.
“These reforms will prevent the abuse of public funds through unchecked extravagant perks and ensure that any changes to ministerial benefits are transparent and justified,” Beesley added.
