By Angela Quintal
The ANC wants crime-weary taxpayers to bankroll more than R11-million in 2007 for the security and transport of its veteran MPs as well as women parliamentarians.
The proposal was tabled at Wednesday's multiparty chief whip forum meeting and is included in a R310-million request for funding for the ANC in parliament in 2007/08.
If approved, MPs of other political parties who fall in these categories would also benefit.
The ANC, which has 279 MPs in the National Assembly and 36 permanent delegates in the National Council of Provinces, estimates it has 23 MPs aged 70 years and older.
"We have a responsibility towards ensuring our veterans receive the necessary care and attention while they are carrying out their parliamentary duties and functions," an annexure to the funding proposal states.
"The pressure upon them is greater, in that younger and older (MPs) have similar general functions and responsibilities.
"Further, the question of security of our veterans is extremely important. The proposal is that each of our members who are 70 years and older be provided with a driver and security."
The oldest serving MP in 2006 was James "Castro" Kati, 82, who died on September 29. Political parties paid tribute to him in the National Assembly on Thursday.
The cost of supplying security to veterans is estimated at R10 000 a month for each ANC MP, according to the annexure.
The ANC argues that the safety and security of women MPs is a cause for concern. It estimates that their security costs would be R7 000 a month. With 102 women MPs, the annual bill would be R8,56-million.
The ANC has also suggested that parliament pay homage to "the roles our veterans have played in ensuring our new democracy" by upgrading their travel class from economy to business.
But the ANC's R310-million funding proposal could be a veiled attempt by the cash-strapped ruling party to get the taxpayer to fund its party work and help secure election victory.
The Treasury takes the ultimate decision on how much is allocated in the parliamentary budget.
The official line on the need for more funds is that it is necessary to beef up the capacity of MPs to carry out constituency work.
But the proposal has been described by a minority party MP as "wholesale plunder".
Parliament's annual budget tops R1-billion, but the proposal for more money could see it being increased by an estimated third for the ANC alone.
ANC chief whip Mbulelo Goniwe and parliamentary caucus spokesperson Mpho Lekgoro could not be reached for comment.