The NP has prepared a detailed list of perks and privileges for the leader of the opposition, reports Gaye Davis
THE National Party has proposed a range of perks and privileges it believes the leader of the opposition should be entitled to and the taxpayer should foot the bill for – ranging from unlimited air travel in South Africa and abroad for himself and his spouse to framed photographs and thank-you cards.
In a 40-page submission to the Steyn Commission on the remuneration of public representatives, the NP says the leader of the opposition when he leaves office should get a “life-long golden pass” entitling him to unlimited business-class domestic flights on South African Airways (SAA), as well as a number of flights a year, also business class, for his spouse or widow.
In addition to a core staff of nine, offices and furniture, the NP wants Parliament to carry the costs for:
* hotel bills during official trips in South Africa and abroad, including those of accompanying family members;
* business-class tickets for his spouse even if she is travelling alone;
* money spent abroad on tips, drivers, newspapers and magazines;
* fax machines and cell phones at official residences as well as the costs of telephones for his private secretary and assistant private secretary;
* thank-you letters, Christmas and visiting cards;
* the taking and framing of photographs and paintings “for official purposes”; and
* invitations to official functions, including those hosted by the leader’s spouse.
Other perks the NP wants include South African Air Force travel for official duties; payment of relocation costs for family, domestic workers, household goods, pets and vehicles between Cape Town and Pretoria; payment for domestic workers who don’t accompany the household to Cape Town to travel to their homes; and the travel costs of children between school or university if not in Cape Town.
Democratic Party leader Tony Leon accused the NP of being “obsessed with status and perks”.
“The NP wasn’t the slightest bit concerned about the position when they were in power.
“When Van Zyl Slabbert was leader of the opposition he earned a few hundred extra rands a month. Now the Nats want everything from state homes, secretaries to thank-you cards and flowers.”
The document was “the most meticulous and detailed piece of research to have come from the NP”, he said. “It is longer than their submission to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and more comprehensive than anything they presented during constitutional negotiations. “The DP will certainly not be supporting these proposals.”