Minister in the Presidency Mondli Gungubele revealed that six suspended provincial heads of department have been paid R12m altogether while sitting at home. Photo: GCIS / Flickr
‘I pay R10k for medical aid’ – Minister COMPLAINS about perks
Despite earning R2.4 million a year, Minister Mondli Gungubele says he and his colleagues aren’t as comfortable as many assume
Minister in the Presidency Mondli Gungubele revealed that six suspended provincial heads of department have been paid R12m altogether while sitting at home. Photo: GCIS / Flickr
Despite raking in roughly R2.4 million a year, Minister in Presidency Mondli Gungubele maintains that he and his colleagues in Cabinet aren’t as comfortable as South Africans assume.
President Cyril Ramaphosa signed off on the amended ministerial handbook in May 2022, which removed the R5 000 cap on municipal utilities covered by the government. This while ordinary South Africa continue navigating the tough economic climate which has seen food and petrol prices skyrocket. In addition, ministers and their deputies can now spend an extra R100 000 of taxpayers’ money on their vehicles, meaning they can fork out as much as R800 000 on new wheels.
Speaking to SAfm, Gungubele defended the amendments to the handbook, including the fact that the taxpayer foots the bill for their utilities. He said ministers have residences both in Gauteng and the Western Cape, due to the fact that they work in Parliament and also preside over their various departments, whose headquarters are in Pretoria.
“A minister, who is staying in state houses in Cape Town and Gauteng, the state would have paid up to R5 000 and the remainder, the minister would pay in terms of electricity [and water],” Gungubele said.
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MONDLI GUNGUBELE DEFENDS THOSE MINISTERIAL PERKS
Minister Mondli Gungubele says his colleagues in Cabinet had noticed by April 2022, that they were forking out as much as R30 000 for water and electricity in both their residences.
“I’m also a minister so I can come across as being defensive [but] the ministerial job is one of the most insecure jobs. Ministers buy their own houses, they don’t have a housing subsidy including MPs. They also pay for their medical aid… I think I am paying R10 000 a month as a minister. A lot of things are not subsidised. [This is] a job that you can leave at any time and [it is] a job that [needs one to be] involved 24/7,” Gungubele said.
When the minister was asked why he doesn’t make use of public healthcare, Gungubele laughed and simply said: “That’s a different story.”
He admitted that using public services would a message of confidence in government services.
