Dr. Pieter Mulder, FF Plus leader and deputy minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries saves South African taxpayers thousands of rand by not making use of a ministerial house.
According to a question in Parliament, the government spent R183 million on buying new homes for ministers and deputy ministers. This works out to be an average of R5,4 million per house. These costs do not include improvements, furniture and the safeguarding of the houses.
“Dr. Mulder is, as a deputy minister, entitled to live in such a ministerial house in Bryntirion, Pretoria or the Groote Schuur compound in Cape Town. With his appointment as deputy minister in 2009, he chose not to make use of it. Dr. Mulder lives in Pretoria privately and with family and it does not cost the state anything. In Cape Town he chose to keep on living in his house in Acacia Park where he has always been living as a Parliamentarian. No extra costs were necessary in this case as well,” says Pieter Groenewald (MP), the national chairperson of the Freedom Front Plus.
“This is in contrast to, for example, the premier of Gauteng, Ms. Nomvula Mokonyane who, according to reports, got the state to spend more than R2 million last year to improve her official residence. The residence was purchased in 2004 for the amount of R11,5 million following which R8,4 million was spent immediately to improve it. Taxpayer’s money is not only used to buy minister’s houses. Last year R3,7 million was spent on a house for Gen. Bheki Cele, national police commissioner. A new house was purchased for him for the amount of R2,9 million in Waterkloof and R732 000 was spent on improvements to the house,” Groenewald said.
Mr. Pieter Groenewald: FF Plus MP
