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South Africa's largest public sector trade union federation has slammed the high cost of expanding President Jacob Zuma's cabinet as an exercise in appeasing political factions and a setback for the poor.
Addressing Parliament's finance and appropriations committees on Wednesday, Federation of Unions of South Africa (Fedusa) deputy general secretary Gretchen Humphries said that the half a billion rand spent on the new structures and homes and offices for the eight new ministries could have been better spent on homes for the poor.
"The establishment of new government departments and the appointment of additional ministers and deputy ministers and departmental staff can be seen as a political exercise to appease the various factions within the ANC with the perks and privileges of executive office," Humphries said of last week's mini-budget.
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"Whether these new ministries will be able to have an equivalent impact is difficult to measure, but if precedent is any indication, they will not. Taking into consideration that the country is facing a recession of note, do we really need this?"
| '... do we really need this' |
Humphries was among a range of business and labour leaders giving feedback on Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan's medium-term budget policy statement last week.
She was scathing about the R150 million allocated through the Public Works Department for offices and residences for new members of the executive, included in the R562.1-million in "unforeseen expenses" Gordhan announced for the new national government structure.
The amount included more than R200m for the new Rural Development and Land Affairs Ministry's pilot schemes and about R90m for Zuma's office, including setting up two new ministers in the Presidency.
Humphries said the state could have built more than 10 000 RDP houses with the money - something that would have a "real and tangible impact on the lives of thousands of ordinary South Africans".
Fedusa did, however, welcome the finance minister's firm stance against corruption and wasteful expenditure.
"Fedusa has seen how the poor have become poorer, while national figures have enjoyed extravagant luxuries such as expensive hotel rooms and flights when attending meetings," Humphries said.
"However, we are pleased to hear that Minister Gordhan has made it a key priority to eliminate these unnecessary practices as well as corruption that is a burden to the taxpayers of our country."
- This article was originally published on page 2 of Daily News on November 05, 2009
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