The Presidency has taken heed of the furore over nearly R9-million being spent on cars for the wives of President Jacob Zuma.

Against a backdrop of a “depressed economic climate” and in the “spirit of spending funds prudently”‚ the Presidency announced on Friday that it would review the transport benefits of spouses and also former presidents and their deputies.

And‚ in another development‚ security benefits for the president and his deputy are being reviewed.

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The presidency undertook to “discuss the harmonisation of benefit policies in light of the recent announcement of the procurement of vehicles for the spouses of the president”.

“The discussions with SAPS will take place as part of the on-going review of benefit policies within government informed by the depressed economic climate and the spirit of spending public funds prudently as announced by President Jacob Zuma in the State of the Nation Address and expanded upon by the Minister of Finance in the budget speech‚” said the Presidency in a statement.

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“The discussions will take into account the transport benefits of spouses of serving principals and also those of former presidents and deputy presidents.

“The Presidency is also currently reviewing the security benefits of presidents and deputy presidents in line with the report of the public protector and the recent Constitutional Court judgment.”

– TMG Digital