The growing expenses associated with the executive have sparked renewed debates over affordability.
Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana has disclosed that the addition of new ministers and deputy ministers will cost South African taxpayers nearly R240 million in the next financial year.
This revelation comes amid growing public and political criticism over the expense of the country’s executive, which now comprises 77 members.
Budgetary adjustments for new ministries
With new ministries being established only three months into the 2024/2025 financial year, Finance Minister Godongwana had to adjust the budget during the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS).
The MTBPS, also referred to as the “mini-budget”, allows government departments to seek adjustments to their budgets or request additional funding for unforeseen and unavoidable expenses.
ActionSA MP Alan Beesley recently asked a parliamentary question about the total costs associated with these new ministers and deputy ministers.
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In response, Godongwana indicated that the total allocation for all new ministries amounted to R239 million for the 2025/2026 fiscal year, with carry-through costs over the next year’s Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF).
“The allocation is for salaries of the executive, cost of support staff, official vehicles, and goods and services,” Godongwana explained.
“The cost for official vehicles was calculated based on the current threshold of R800 000 inclusive of VAT and security upgrades.”
Minister salaries
The growing expenses associated with the expanded executive and accompanying salary increases have sparked renewed debates over their affordability.
In May, Ramaphosa approved a 2.5% salary hike for public office bearers, including ministers and deputy ministers.
The increase, which took effect retroactively in April this year, was officially confirmed in a government gazette notice published on 5 June.
As a result, Cabinet ministers now earn R2.69 million annually, while deputy ministers’ salaries have risen to R2.22 million per year.
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Ministers and their deputies also enjoy a host of benefits beyond their salaries.
These include access to luxury vehicles, VIP protection services, and allowances for international travel.
Additionally, ministers and deputy ministers reside in ministerial homes located in Pretoria and Cape Town, collectively valued at approximately R967 million.
Utility costs for these properties are also subsidised, with free water and electricity provided up to a cap of R5 000 per month.
SA’s ‘bloated’ executive
The size of the executive has been a contentious issue for years, with concerns regularly raised about the cost of maintaining a bloated government at taxpayers’ expense.
Despite promises by President Cyril Ramaphosa to streamline government departments, the Cabinet grew from 30 to 32 ministers following this year’s national and provincial elections.
Simultaneously, the number of deputy ministers has increased significantly from 36 to 43 under the seventh administration.
Responding to the criticism, political analyst Dale McKinley previously told The Citizen said it was a compromise that needed to be made to ensure political unity.
“The president had a choice, but in dealing with several parties and making room for newcomers in the GNU, it is no surprise that three or four [departments] had to be split to create new ones – increasing the size of the Cabinet, as opposed to reducing it.”
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