National
Cabinet costs taxpayers R4.4m per day: report─── 11:09 Sun, 23 Nov 2014
Cape Town - It costs taxpayers at least R4.4 million a day to keep President Jacob Zuma's executive running, Sunday Times reported.
The newspaper did an analysis of all the benefits which the country's 74 ministers and deputy ministers were entitled to.
This showed that the state spent a minimum of R1.6 billion a year -- or a monthly average of R133.7m -- maintaining the executive.
Zuma's personal costs were reportedly responsible for a significant percentage of the total.
Besides the R246m spent on security upgrades to his private home in Nkandla, KwaZulu-Natal, the president's spousal support unit cost an average of R10.9m a year to maintain. His flights -- the VIP squadron and helicopters used to ferry him between Nkandla and his official residence in Durban -- cost at least R60.8m a year.
The analysis did not include Zuma's legal costs, many of which had been borne by the state.
Supporting staff for each minister totalled R291.6m and health facilities cost R62m, Sunday Times reported.
The expansion of the Cabinet has forced the state to purchase new residences for ministers who were entitled to two -- one in Cape Town and one in Pretoria.
Other big costs included security at each private residence and a vehicle allowance.
Sapa
