‘President’s staff need to be close’
Presidency wants more cash for travel
President Jacob Zuma cannot work efficiently if his support staff are not near the hotel in which he is staying.
Zuma’s spokesman Bongani Ngqulunga told Sowetan yesterday that if support staff have to travel to another hotel it affected the efficiency of the support given to the president.
He was responding to revelations in parliament that National Treasury declined requests by Zuma and his deputy Cyril Ramaphosa’s offices to exceed the maximum daily allowances for accommodation and meals to support staff during domestic travel.
The offices wanted to exceed the maximum allowance rates, which are between R100 and R2 500, due to some hotels not falling within the allowed rates, according to a parliamentary reply by Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba to DA MP David Maynier.
National Treasury said it cannot make blanket approvals to deviate from the government’s strict cost containment measures.
In its motivation, the Presidency said “special advisers, officials in the Presidency and Deputy Presidency, office of the director-general … protocol staff, spousal support officers and presidential aides are required to travel to Cape Town and other provinces in support of principals during official engagements”.
The request for support staff to be allowed to travel in the same class as Zuma and Ramaphosa is under review, according to Gigaba.
Support staff include secretaries, aides, a doctor and two bodyguards.