The net is closing in on a certain Jacob Zuma, with the recent election results confirming that the citizens of this country are fed up with his morally bankrupt leadership.

That’s not to mention the dissent within the ANC itself, party members taking shots at the sinking ship that is JZ’s reputation.

Of course the DA aren’t shy of landing a few body blows either, with leader Mmusi Maimane today proposing a new cost-cutting Presidential Handbook.

The idea here, said Maimane, was to curb the free rein currently given to the Presidency with regards spending. How free? Below from BusinessTech:

Maimane noted that under president Jacob Zuma, the budget for the Presidency has increased more than 225% from R452.5 million in 2008/09 to R1.15 billion for 2014/15.

That’s frankly ridiculous when you consider the basic services so many South Africans go without, and points to the ‘me first’ attitude that so many of our top politicians have become famous for.

The DA have said that the new handbook will help achieve a better South Africa for all, focusing on a number of important issues.

We’ll run through some of the key features below:

•  Introduces a detailed Presidential Ethics Code, similar to but more detailed than the Executive Ethics Code which currently does not apply to the President. This Code focuses on financial interests, gifts, and conflict of interest;

• Compels the President and Deputy President to disclose all business interests, as well as the business interests held by their families, in entities that conduct business with the National Government;

• Restricts business interests in entities conducting business with the National Government; prescribing that the President or Deputy President cannot have business interests in any entity if he/she “directly or indirectly owns or controls more than 5% of the shares, stocks, membership or other interest of that entity”.

• Stipulates what should occur in the event of a failure to comply with the Presidential Ethics Code. These include, as the case may be, the initiation of impeachment proceedings by the National Assembly; an investigation by the Public Protector; or the matter being referred to the Constitutional Court;

• Details spousal support and sets important limitations. These include capping total spend on spousal support at 45% of the President or Deputy President’s inclusive annual remuneration package; capping the cost of vehicles at 15% and prohibiting their replacement during the President or Deputy President’s term of office; and, setting conditions for providing spouse(s) with private secretaries;

• Discontinues Private Motor Vehicle Allowances for the President and Deputy President as dedicated vehicles are always available for their transport requirements;

• States that motor vehicles can only be replaced during the President and Deputy President’s term “as a result of non-repairable mechanical breakdown or in the event that necessary repairs exceed the value of the vehicle”.

• Details permissible security upgrades at the private residences of the President and Deputy President. Expenditure on security upgrades are furthermore capped at R1 million with upgrades exceeding this amount subject to approval by Parliament;

• Compels the President and Deputy President to only travel with dedicated SANDF aircraft or, when unavailable, commercial airlines;

• Holds the President and Deputy President responsible for non-official travel costs, i.e. the State no longer carries the cost of private or party travel; and caps travel privileges of former Presidents and Deputy Presidents and their spouse(s).

If you’re thinking that sounds like a lofty ideal that would never work then consider this – the Western Cape has had something similar, the Ministerial Handbook, running since 2011.

We’ve already seen Tshwane mayor Solly Msimanga put an end to lavish feeding frenzies (lunches and dinners to you and I), and then there’s the vehicle situation:

The Mayor of Tshwane, Solly Msimanga, redirected 10 new BMW vehicles – which were purchased by the previous ANC administration for over R5-million – to the Tshwane Metro Police Department‚ where they will serve in a newly formed Anti-Hijack Unit.

I don’t imagine we’ll see Number One and his cronies adopting the DA’s handbook just yet, but a little kick in the backside never did any harm.

Click on the image below to read the handbook in full.

[source:businesstech]