Here's government's response to 'free electricity and water for ministers' backlash

Government has clapped back at criticism over the reported free electricity and water for ministers and their deputies, saying it is not entirely true that they don't pay a cent for municipal services. 

City Press reported that the ministerial handbook has been amended to remove a cap on municipal utilities for ministers and deputy ministers. 

The amendment sparked backlash from opposition parties, civil society and citizens on social media.

Addressing the barrage of criticism, government spokesperson Phumla Williams said the public works department is responsible for providing water and electricity to state-owned residences.

“Those properties that are used [by the ministers and deputy ministers] remain the property of the state. Their upkeep is being overseen by the department of public works and infrastructure. This includes paying for water and electricity. 

“We would like to assure South Africans that the private properties of the members of the executive remain their responsibility, their upkeep, including the water and electricity,” said Williams. 

She denied that ministers and deputy ministers are exempt from Eskom's rolling blackouts.

“On the load-shedding, we would also like to assure South Africans that the inconvenience experienced by everybody also affected the members of the executive in the accommodation they were occupying.”

“The only exemptions that were made were with the mines supplying Eskom with coal. Also, the seat of government, the Union Buildings, and parliament were exempted during this time,” she said.

According to the previous handbook, the public works department was responsible for providing water and electricity, provided the cost was limited to R5,000 per month.

The amendment comes months after President Ramaphosa announced a salary hike of 3% for politicians and other government officials, backdated to April 2021 and applicable to all categories of public office bearers.

Cabinet ministers earn R2.4m a year, while their deputies get R2m.

Secretary-general of the SA Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) Zwelinzima Vavi said he was “disgusted” by government’s explanation.

“We are disgusted, but we are not surprised. We are in the situation of the Animal Farm. If you look at the statement of the government, it makes the most worrying statement we will ever come across,” Vavi told eNCA.

“Basically, the government says we are not providing these free water and electricity services to people residing in their private residences, but we are providing to those we are also giving free houses.

“The houses are provided by the taxpayer and the government is saying, 'we feel that there is nothing wrong with us giving them free houses, free electricity, free water, free rates that the municipality would have demanded if these were just ordinary people'. And they see nothing wrong.”

In a statement, the DA said it wanted a review of how such amendments could be made by Ramaphosa without consulting anyone.

“Ramaphosa’s government made it clear that it has no intention of listening to the public or the DA by scrapping these provisions. Since Ramaphosa refuses to do anything about this waste of public resources, the DA will now do it for him,” said the party. 

It said the handbook appears to exist outside the constitution and the law.

“It is for this reason the president was able to secretly amend the handbook in April to allow these new perks without bothering to inform parliament.

“ The president is completely unaccountable for the way in which he forces taxpayers to fund the ANC gravy train,” it said. 

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