PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA – APRIL 01: African National Congress NEC member, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma during the special meeting of its National Executive Committee at Saint George Hotel in Irene on April 01, 2019 in Pretoria, South Africa. (Photo by Gallo Images/Phill Magakoe)
PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA – APRIL 01: African National Congress NEC member, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma during the special meeting of its National Executive Committee at Saint George Hotel in Irene on April 01, 2019 in Pretoria, South Africa. (Photo by Gallo Images/Phill Magakoe)
It’s no secret how influential Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma was when it came to deciding our lockdown laws at the advent of the pandemic: From pushing for a smoking ban, to legally changing the definition of the beach, she’s cut a controversial figure in the COVID era – and this luxury car purchase will do her reputation no good.
Dlamini-Zuma splashes the cash on luxury vehicle – days before our first lockdown
Written responses to the DA’s Parliamentary questions revealed that a sordid fleet of new motors have been snapped up by ministers over the past three years. The Ministerial Handbook gives an allowance of up to R700 000 for Cabinet members to spend on a car of their choice – but the government says the actual upper limit is R800 000.
Fikile Mbalula (BMW 5 series), Joe Phaahla (Audi Q5), and Pravin Gordhan (Audi A6) all find themselves in the grey area, spending between R700 000 – R800 000. However, the same room for doubt cannot be afforded to the COGTA Minister – as NDZ spent over R806 000 on a Volvo XC60.
- The purchase date, 24 March 2020, was just DAYS before Mzansi entered into Level 5 of lockdown:
“Since 2019, taxpayers bought 24 new vehicles for Ministers and Deputy Ministers, at a total cost of almost R19 million. The average cost for the 24 vehicles purchased was R789 736 – well in excess of the limit supposedly established by the Ministerial Handbook. Ministers and former Ministers.”
“Up to eleven vehicles were potentially purchased in contravention of the R700 000 limit by senior members of the Poverty Cabinet, including Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma – who spent R806 000 on a luxury car.”
DA statement
Ministers behaving badly: Who are the worst offenders?
However, Dlamini-Zuma’s selfish splurge pales into comparison against the worst offenders. Both the minister AND deputy minister of Human Settlements in March 2019 treated themselves to luxury vehicles worth over R1.5 million!
- Minister Nomaindia Mfeketo splashed an eye-watering R1 560 602.80 on a Audi S8 three years ago.
- The deputy Minister Zou Kota-Fredericks got a slightly better deal, spending R1 506 125.45 on the same car.
- The purchase for both vehicles totals R3 066 728.25.
- That’s almost FOUR times more than what NDZ paid for her Volvo.
Today we reveal how Ramaphosa’s Cabinet has blown more than R20 million on buying fuel and 24 brand new luxury vehicles.
— Democratic Alliance (@Our_DA) March 27, 2022
11 vehicles were potentially purchased in contravention of the statutory limit.
The DA will now lay a complaint against these crooks! https://t.co/v7Y2WMTsvc
