Last week’s Budget allocated R43-million to the president and his two deputies. Rehana Rossouw examines how it will be spent
PRESIDENT Nelson Mandela’s office will spend R21-million this year, Executive Deputy President Thabo Mbeki R9-million and Deputy President FW de Klerk R12-million.
This pays for the smooth running of their offices and households: all three have offices and official homes in Cape Town and Pretoria.
Last week, the delivery of four luxury armoured Mercedes Benzes to the Houses of Parliament for Mandela and his deputies caused a stir when it was discovered the Department of Transport spent R1-million on each and has ordered three more for use in Gauteng.
However, the department’s spokesman, Elsa KrUger denied the purchase was “reckless”, saying they had a responsibility to ensure the safety of the president and his deputies.
While the three-headed presidency does add an additional burden to the tax-paying public because of the addition of two deputies, surprisingly the trio’s administration is still far more streamlined than PW Botha’s Tuynhuys staff of 500. Their combined staff is 309.
President Nelson Mandela’s financial comptrollers received an explicit instruction from the South African head of state to keep his budget increase to a minimum this year — – up from R16 299 000 to R21 705 000 — because he wants to set an example of fiscal discipline.
The R5-million increase, says his spokesman Parks Mankahlana, is a reflection of the increase of the duties and demands on the president which have spiralled enormously compared to those in the previous dispensation.
Other reasons were the implementation of the newly-appointed Commission on the Remuneration of Representatives at a cost of R1-million and an increase in the staff of the office.
New staffers will be appointed in a new directorate of personal services and in expanding existing components of the president’s office.
The largest allocation in the budget — R17- million — is for adminstration costs with expenditure for the 190 staffers increasing by 36 percent this year. Mandela had 206 staffers last year.
His salary is R552 000 a year, including a R115 000 car allowance. His budget also includes a salary of R352 000 for RDP Minister Jay Naidoo, including a car allowance of R70 560.
The president’s office employs six messengers, an operator, three drivers, two telecom operators, four secretaries, 19 typists, five accounting clerks, 11 clerks, four network controllers, one programmer, seven personnel officers, six registry clerks, nine administrative officers, four personnel practitioners, three state accountants, two communication officers, five assistant directors, nine deputy directors, six directors, two chief directors and a director general.
His household staff includes 61 cleaners, three food service aides, eight household aides, a general foreman, a storekeeper, three household managers, one guesthouse manager, two household supervisors and two household controllers. The Department of Public Works employs gardeners and pays for general repairs and renovations, but no major work is planned for this year.
R2-million has been allocated for Cabinet services, which involve providing secretarial and executive services to the Cabinet and its committees.
Taxpayers can rest assured: the president isn’t planning any wild parties with their money. His modest entertainment allowance of R290 000 for the year, which he shares with his senior management, will be used for state banquets for visiting foreign dignitaries as well.
Executive Deputy President Thabo Mbeki asked for R10-million this year but was only allocated R9 387 000 — an increase of six percent over last year.
“Despite being the second most senior political office in the country, we have one of the smallest budgets and are headed by an office with the rank of only chief director,” said Mbeki’s spokesman Ricky Naidoo.
Besides the ongoing responsibilities delegated by Mandela, Mbeki’s office has the additional burden this year of establishing an Office on the Status of Women, Youth and the Disabled.
Mbeki earns R480 000 a year, including an R80 000 car allowance.
His staff complement grew from 50 last year to 63. His office staff includes five clerks, an administrative officer, an administrative secretary, a personnel assistant director, a financial assistant director, a chief director, an adminstrative director, a deputy adminstrative director, a driver, a minsterial typist, a network controller, a personnel practitioner, a messenger, a personnel officer, three private secretaries, a public relations officer, a registry clerk, eight secretaries, four special advisors and a telecom operator.
His household staff includes a food services aide, a household controller, two household managers, two housekeepers and six household aides.
The deputy president’s office entertainment allocation for the year is R50 000, of which R30 000 is allocated to Mbeki specifically for meetings and consultations.
“It should be stressed that the entire allocation is not an entertainment allowance but is utilised exclusively in the performance of official duties,” Naidoo said.
There is also R10 000 allocated for gifts, used exclusively by Mbeki and his wife.
Deputy President FW de Klerk’s budget of R12- million may at first glance appear suspiciously larger than Mbeki’s, but it includes major hidden costs as well.
There is R2,3-million allocated for the General Services Ministry and a further R1,9- million for the investigation into lotteries and gambling. The budget allocated directly to De Klerk is R8-million.
De Klerk’s staff complement decreased from 61 last year to 56 this year. There are nine vacant posts, which will be filled by General Services Minister John Mavuso when he assumes office at the end of the month.
De Klerk earns R480 000 a year, including an R80 000 car allowance. Mavuso’s salary is R424 000, including a car allowance of R70 560.
De Klerk’s office staff includes two fulltime and four part-time advisors, an office head, an adminstrative director, a communications director, a deputy adminstrative director, three private secretaries, two administrative secretaries, a personnel officer, a network controller, six clerks, a driver, a messenger, a registry clerk, four secretaries, four typists and a chief administration clerk.
His household staff includes seven cleaners, three food service aides, four household aides, a household controller, a household manager and four housekeeping supervisors. The costs of managing his official household amount to R1 067 000.
His office provides advisory services to Mbeki and the General Services Ministry, as well as to National Party ministers on economic, constitutional, education, health and welfare and legal matters.
De Klerk’s allowance for entertainment is R159 000 with R10 000 annually for gifts.