Trade in bling cars, ministers told

2009-09-07 16:15

Cape Town - The Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu) on Monday urged ministers who bought cars worth a million rand or more to trade them in for more modestly-priced transport.

Cosatu praised Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan for contenting himself with a "modest Lexus car for R557 673 and an Audi A8 for R590 500".

"This is a welcome decision to respond to the public anger at the unnecessary expenditure of up to R1.4m per vehicle for other government ministers."

Change the rules

Cosatu said while it was true that those who have purchased top of the range BMWs had acted within the government rules, they had also displayed great insensitivity to the plight of the poor.

"The problem is that the rules themselves, contained in an apartheid-era hand book, need to be changed, and [Cosatu] welcomes reports that the government is now reviewing them," it said.

"If ministers are allowed to purchase expensive cars at taxpayers' expense it gives an impression that they do not care about the message this opulence gives to the poor.

"Spending so much money on vehicles is a slap in the face of the unemployed and people living in shanty towns. It gives politics a bad name."

The trade union federation said those who had bought flashy cars should return them and replace them "with the kind of modest cars bought by Comrade Pravin Gordhan and others".

'Only the very best'

Cabinet members who have splashed out on luxury BMWs include Communications Minister Siphiwe Nyanda, Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa and Higher Education Minister and SA Communist Party general secretary Blade Nzimande.

Nzimande's purchase of a BMW 7501 for R1.1m prompted Democratic Alliance MP Wilmot James to quip: "It appears that only the very best will do for the leaders of the working class."

The government recently ordered a spending revue which it acknowledges was prompted by public outrage over the cost of ministerial cars.

According to government rules, ministers are entitled to a state-purchased car of a value equivalent to 70% of their annual salary. This equates to roughly R929 000.
 

- SAPA