W Cape sets limit on ministerial cars

Members of the Western Cape cabinet have been set a limit of just more than R500 000 on new official vehicles, provincial transport minister Robin Carlisle said on Friday.

This follows Premier Helen Zille’s announcement earlier in the week that the province would write its own ministerial handbook in a bid to curb excessive spending by office-bearers.

“In line with the production of our own provincial ministerial handbook, cabinet agreed on Wednesday that we reduce the amount that can be spent on a ministerial car to the range between R363 000 [and] R510 000,” Carlisle told the legislature.

“We trust that this lead will be followed by government throughout the country.”

Zille’s Democratic Alliance has strongly criticised the amounts national ministers have been spending on official vehicles.

The existing ministerial handbook, which sets guidelines for the national government and the provinces, allows ministers and provincial ministers to order vehicles that cost up to 70% of their annual salaries.

A provincial minister’s all-inclusive salary package is currently R1,3-million a year, which means they are entitled to vehicles worth about R910 000.

Last year Communications Minister Siphiwe Nyanda came under fire after his department bought him two new BMW 750i cars worth R1,14-million each.

The department spent R136 000 on extras for one of the vehicles including “rear seat entertainment” and ambient interior lighting.—Sapa