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A modern-day startup job listing often talks about added perks of the job.

The company ‘works hard and plays hard’ and there are free lunches and office drinks – you know, that sort of thing. Meanwhile, they’re asking for a ‘unicorn’ (a job description that covers multiple roles) and want to pay peanuts.

The same cannot be said for members of parliament (MPs) in South Africa. We recently learnt that our ministers and deputy ministers don’t pay for their water or electricity and have generators installed in their private residences at taxpayers’ expense.

Following a massive public backlash, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that he was withdrawing the 2022 amendments to the ministerial handbook, and sending the guide for review.

What else can they take us for, other than the more than R1 million a year earned by an ordinary MP, just over R2,4 million a year by ministers, and just over R2 million a year for their deputies?

Quite a bit, reports The Sunday Times:

The government has splurged millions on pampering MPs at state-owned houses in Cape Town, including splashing out nearly R1.8m on new beds in 2019, spending R1.6m on transport for them and their children and sprucing up their houses to the tune of R51m.

Much of the spending took place even as the government committed itself to austerity and “trimming the fat”, and while tens of thousands of people lost their jobs during the pandemic.

What a relief that our MPs don’t have to splurge on their own beds. How can one be expected to govern if one can’t get a proper night’s rest?

On top of this, MPs are also given car allowances, cellphone allowances, free flights for their partners and children, and food subsidies at parliament’s restaurants.

They’re basically that guy that runs all of his expenses through his business with us footing the bill.

Others being pampered by the taxpayer are 28 directors-general of government departments, who occupy state houses and sea-view apartments in posh Cape Town suburbs such as Mouille Point where they pay a paltry R75 a month in rent and enjoy free electricity and water.

R75 a month to rent on the Atlantic Seaboard is quite a deal.

The lowest price I can find in Mouille Point on Property24 is R12 000 a month for a 1,5-bedroom apartment. And, wait for it, you’ll have to buy your own bed.

Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) CEO Wayne Duvenage delivered some basic truths to BusinessTech:

“These funds could be put to much better use in dealing with pit latrines, bucket toilets, and bridges over rivers to get kids to school. Think of all the problems we have, and we have to waste money like this. It’s unacceptable,” said Duvenage.

I would even be willing to let politicians turn up at the opening of a toilet if it meant less money was wasted on ministerial perks.

Go ahead and ask your boss if the company is willing to pay for your bed and see what response comes your way.

[sources:suntimes&bustech]