Improved ministerial handbook grants executive perks
A NEW guide to replace the controversial ministerial handbook has finally been made public and looks set to give members of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s executive improved perks.
The strict new guide has replaced the ministerial handbook nearly a decade after Ramaphosa’s predecessor Jacob Zuma’s administration announced that it was reviewing it in 2011.
New perks include up to double the staff compliment in the offices of ministers, deputy ministers, premiers and MECs as well as the state paying more than two times the cost of security in their private residences.
The 33-page Guide for Members of the Executive will apply to ministers, their deputies, premiers and MECs and has replaced the ministerial handbook approved by former president Thabo Mbeki’s Cabinet in February 2007.
Public Service and Administration Minister Senzo Mchunu announced that the guide came into effect on June 8, 2019.
In a letter to his colleagues in the executive as well as premiers and MECs, Mchunu said Ramaphosa approved the guide.
Ministers and premiers were previously entitled to ten core support staff while deputy ministers and MECs could have up to six, according to the ministerial handbook.
The proposed staff establishment for the office of a member (Minister, deputy minister, premiers and MECs) and administrative support staff will be between 11 and 15.
The government will also increase the amount that can be spent on security at private residences designated as official residences from R100000 to R250 000 and this will be adjusted annually by Finance Minister Tito Mboweni and Police Minister Bheki Cele on July 1 each year based on the inflation rate.
The new guide also gives Mboweni widespread powers to curb spending on luxury cars and other perks.
The guide follows the SA Local Government Association’s (Salga’s) rejection of the new municipal cost containment regulations, which were scheduled to come into effect from Monday.
According to Salga, the regulations are not in line with the Municipal Finance Management Act and in direct contravention of other related legislation.
Earlier this month, Mboweni and his Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs counterpart Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma announced that the country’s 257 mayors will have to use public transport or shuttles and stop hiring expensive luxury cars as part of new stringent measures to cut costs in municipalities and municipal entities.