Bathabile splurges R1.3m on new wheels
Purchase at odds with austerity call
Embattled Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini has procured a R1.3-million German sedan for her official use in Pretoria, while her deputy has gone for a R1.1-million SUV.
The R2.4-million splurge on the luxury vehicles for Dlamini and her deputy, Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu‚ is at odds with National Treasury’s austerity measures introduced by axed finance minister Pravin Gordhan to curb wasteful and unnecessary spending of public funds when government revenue streams are dwindling.
Treasury capped the price for official vehicles at R650 000 in 2014. That was later revised to R750 000.
In a written reply to a question by DA MP Bridget Masango‚ the controversial minister confirmed that her department had bought her a BMW 740i in October 2016.
Dlamini further stated that three months earlier‚ in July 2016‚ a premium luxury Jeep Grand Cherokee SUV was procured for Bogopane-Zulu.
She said in the written reply that purchasing the vehicles was “unavoidable” because the ones they had purchased in 2009 had aged and had done morethan120 000km.
“The official Pretoria-based vehicles allocated to the minister and deputy minister in 2009 have far exceeded the prescribed 120 000km and fiveyear period. As such the purchase of new official vehicles became unavoidable,” she said.
The minister said procurement was guided by prescripts and regulations of the National Treasury and stipulations of the ministerial handbook.
The ministerial handbook says the purchase price of cars for a minister should not exceed 70% of their annual remuneration packages but these may be amended periodically by recommendation of the Independent Commission on the Remuneration of Public Office Bearers.
Ministers currently earn an annual salary of R2.3-million.
Dlamini also said it should be noted that she had delayed the purchase of another vehicle for her Cape Town office “in compliance” with the Treasury’s cost-cutting measures.
“Members at national level may be provided with one vehicle for use in Cape Town and one vehicle for use in Pretoria‚” Dlamini said.
“One official vehicle in Cape Town has also far exceeded the prescribed 120 000km [151 062km for the minister] and the five-year period. In compliance with the National Treasury’s cost containment measures‚ the department has delayed the purchase of official vehicles for Cape Town.
“Although the money for the purchase of the new official vehicles for the deputy minister and minister was budgeted for in the 2014/2015 financial year‚ the following official vehicles were only purchased in the 2016/2017 financial year‚” Dlamini added.
‘‘ Purchasing the new vehicles was unavoidable