Durban - Following the reshuffling of the Cabinet of ministers last night, as well as the appointment of new ministers by President Cyril Ramaphosa, the South African taxpayer will now have to fork out even more money to maintain the lives of the politically elite.
As of Monday night, there are 30 Ministers in the South African Cabinet, who each take home a little over R2.4 million per annum.
According to the 2019 Guide for Members of the executive committee, the current document in use, they also receive a host of other benefits at the cost of financially-strapped citizens.
They will receive additional staff, which includes household aides to a chief of staff, at a cost of around R8.62 million per year.
They will also receive VIP protection worth R8 million, water and electricity worth R120,000, and vehicles for around R1.5 million.
Bearing the above package in mind, each minister costs the South African taxpayer around R20 million each year.
That means South Africans spend R600 million per year on minister packages alone.
There are also deputy ministers.
On the topic of wasteful expenditure, last night, two new ministers were added to the Cabinet, the Minister of Electricity - Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, and the Minister in the Presidency responsible for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation - Maopene Ramokgopa.
The Minister of Electricity was appointed because of the malignant corruption at Eskom, which State Owned Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan apparently could not put an end to.
To avoid wasting any more of the taxpayers' money, the incumbent - Cyril Ramaphosa, decided that spending R20 million more each year was the best solution.
IOL