{"id":213063,"date":"2017-11-26T07:38:05","date_gmt":"2017-11-26T05:38:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/?p=213063"},"modified":"2017-11-26T07:44:35","modified_gmt":"2017-11-26T05:44:35","slug":"ministers-blew-r12-million-on-these-new-cars-in-the-last-6-months","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/government\/213063\/ministers-blew-r12-million-on-these-new-cars-in-the-last-6-months\/","title":{"rendered":"Ministers blew R12 million on these new cars in the last 6 months"},"content":{"rendered":"

Government spent more than\u00a0R11.8 million on 13 luxury cars for ministers in the past six months. The spending is detailed in National Treasury documents circulated in reply to questions by DA MP David Maynier to parliament\u2019s standing committee on appropriations this week, reports\u00a0the Sunday Times<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

In 2013\u00a0former finance minister Pravin Gordhan\u00a0and the Treasury capped the price of cars for ministers at around R500,000, which was later\u00a0adopted as government policy by the cabinet. However the documents show that many departments asked for a exception to the price rule – leading to a massive splurge after Gordhan’s dismissal in March 2017.<\/p>\n

Yesterday, finance ministry spokesman Mayihlome Tshwete said there was no cap on the cost of new ministerial cars because none had been passed by the current cabinet.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can’t find a trace of such a policy in existing resolutions. A policy is now being processed,\u201d he said<\/p>\n

Below are the cars that make up the R12 million expense, and who is driving them.<\/p>\n

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Department of Public Works\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

The reason given for the purchase was that the vehicles replaced two BMWs that were seven and 10 years old and had more than 120 000km on the clock \u2014 the mileage prescribed by the ministerial handbook.<\/em><\/p>\n