The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has criticised the high costs of the current cabinet formed by the coalition between the Democratic Alliance (DA) and the African National Congress (ANC), saying these expenses are unjustified.
The EFF claims that South African taxpayers are burdened by an annual expenditure of R600 million on what they describe as a "bloated" Government of National Unity (GNU), calling it a betrayal of the South African population.
According to Leigh-Ann Mathys, spokesperson for the EFF, the current administration has not delivered on its promises of leaner governance.
Instead, the cabinet has expanded to 32 ministers and 43 deputy ministers, up from 28 ministers and 34 deputy ministers in President Cyril Ramaphosa’s 2019 cabinet, Mathys said.
“Creating a bloated bureaucracy serves no purpose other than to protect political patronage and enrich the political elite at the expense of the masses,’’ she said.
The EFF asserts that this misuse of public funds reflects a coalition primarily focused on self-enrichment, perpetuating a cycle of corruption and waste.
The party highlighted instances such as DA leader John Steenhuisen's Minister of Agriculture office which employed 18 staff members at an annual cost of R14.2 million.
Mathys questioned, “What does this cabinet, with its oversized staff, do for the suffering people of this country?”
Steenhuisen's office is yet another example of the hypocrisy of the DA, which preaches austerity, but is complicit in extravagant government spending when it suits their interests, she said.
Steenhuisen's push to employ staff who do not meet minimum job requirements has been criticised as a reflection of privilege, especially when considering the party's stance on minimum wage policies.
The EFF further highlighted the allocation of funds within various ministries, noting that the Minister of International Relations, led by Ronald Lamola, has a budget of R15 million for 22 officials, while the Minister of Labour, headed by Nomakhosazana Meth, is spending R7.8 million on 23 staff members.
The EFF called the existence of deputy ministers who are deemed non-essential, along with their support staff, a significant misuse of taxpayer resources.
Furthermore, the EFF argues that these funds could be better utilised in critical sectors like education, healthcare, and infrastructure development, all of which are experiencing budget cuts.
“There is no justification for this bloated cabinet,” reiterating the party's long-standing call for the elimination of deputy minister positions, which they view as redundant,“ she said.
The party advocates for a smaller, more efficient government that prioritises service delivery over political patronage.
IOL Politics