Pretoria – Founding secretary-general of the South African Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) Zwelinzima Vavi has expressed “disgust” over government’s explanation on the provision of free water and electricity to members of the executive living at state-owned residences.
“We are disgusted, but we are not, however, surprised. We are in the situation of the Animal Farm. If you look at the statement of the government, it is the most worrying statement we will ever come across.
“Basically, the government says we are not providing these free water and electricity services to people residing in their private residences, but we are providing to those we are also giving free houses,” Vavi told broadcaster eNCA.
“The houses are provided by the taxpayer and (the government is saying) we feel that there is nothing with us giving them free houses, free electricity, free water, free rates that the municipality would have demanded if these were just ordinary people. And they see nothing wrong.”
He said it was ridiculous for government, in that same statement, to urge the South African public to pay for the services.
“Can you believe it, that we live in a country where the ministers are simply living in their ivory towers, completely isolated from the crisis that is unfolding in the country. They were here when Saftu and countless other working-class formations staged a 24-hour national shutdown. People are saying they can no longer afford to live in this country. The cost of living is escalating beyond their salaries, government pensions,” he said.
Vavi said the government’s remarks were “extremely arrogant”.
“They know deep down in their hearts that what they are doing is wrong. They are betraying their own conscience. They are kicking the poor, the marginalised majority, who find themselves in deeper levels of poverty, thanks to their (government) programmes. They are kicking those people in their faces and they are basically showing us the middle finger to say we don’t care about what you are going through,” he said.
Reacting to weekend newspaper reports, the government issued a statement clarifying that “as stipulated in the Ministerial Handbook, which contains guidelines for members of the executive, the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) is responsible for the costs associated with the provision of water and electricity to any state-owned residence”.
Government spokesperson Phumla Williams said the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure was bound by government prescripts to accommodate members of the executive.
“The Department of Public Service and Administration sets out the provisions in the Ministerial Handbook. These provisions are part of the package that comes with being a member of the executive as they are living in state-owned houses in service of the country,” she said.
Williams, however, highlighted that the ministerial residences were not exempt from load shedding.
“The only facilities exempt from load shedding are the seat of government, which is the Union Buildings, as well as the house of Parliament. The other facilities exempt from load shedding are mines that supply Eskom with coal,” she said.
“People in the proximity of these facilities may also be exempt from load shedding. Hospitals are required by law to have their own backup power, however, due to the continued load shedding; government is working on a plan to exempt certain hospitals in the country.”
Ministers and deputy ministers pay for the usage of electricity and water at their private residences.
IOL