ANC ministers and deputies live in mansions valued at nearly R1bn, Patricia de Lille reveals

While many South Africans are struggling to make ends meet, ANC ministers are living in luxury.

Public works and infrastructure minister Patricia de Lille this week revealed public-funded mansions occupied by ministers and their deputies in Cape Town and Pretoria are collectively worth more than R967m.

The total number of houses occupied by ministers and deputy ministers in Cape Town and Pretoria is 97. In Cape Town, 26 ministers and 32 deputy ministers reside in state-owned residences, while in Pretoria, the numbers are 14 and 25, respectively. 

In a response to a written parliamentary question from DA MP Leon Schreiber, De Lille said the homes in Cape Town are worth nearly R830m and the ones in Pretoria nearly R137m.

“On average, each ministerial house is valued at nearly R10m, which means that every ANC minister and deputy minister currently lives in two mansions (one in Cape Town and one in Pretoria) valued at a collective R20m — all courtesy of South African taxpayers,” Schreiber said in a statement. 

He noted cabinet ministers are entitled to these houses in terms of the ministerial handbook, as well as luxury vehicles, VIP protection and international travel perks. 

Ministers and their deputies also receive free water and electricity up to R5,000 per month and the government spends R2.6m on generators for ministerial homes.

“While it is accepted global practice for top government leaders such as the president, deputy president and premiers to occupy official residences — which are often located in heritage buildings or estates — it is difficult to justify why each and every ANC minister and deputy minister who presided over the collapse of every public service and government department in this country should continue to live like rock stars,” said Schreiber. 

He said the DA filed a complaint with the public protector to investigate whether the perks handed out to officials in terms of the handbook are legal. 

The party also plans to introduce an amendment to the Remuneration of Public Office Bearers Act, saying it would make the ministerial handbook subject to full parliamentary oversight.

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