Minister of Electricity Kgosientsho Ramokgopa says the appointment of 12 staff members in his office is in line with the guide to members of the cabinet to provide him with administrative support.
“The staff establishment for the private office of members of the executive is done in accordance with the approved 2019 guide for members of the executive in order to provide administrative support to the member in discharging his/her delegated constitutional duties,” Ramokgopa said.
He was responding to questions from EFF MP Phiwaba Madokwe who asked how Ramokgopa reconciled the cost of his office to the taxpayer being over R13 million per year.
Madokwe said the National Assembly was informed that Ramokgopa’s office did not have a specific budget, and would not need direct oversight of its own dedicated portfolio committee.
In June, it emerged that the salaries for the minister and his 12 staff members totalled about R13m.
While the minister earned R2.4 million a year, his two advisors were pocketing R2.1m each, annually.
Ramakgopa told Madokwe that, “the operational cost relating to the Minister in the Presidency responsible for Electricity is drawn from the budget of the Presidency.”
Madokwe also asked about the processes followed in the appointment of special advisors, Sarel Jacobs and Silas Mzingeli, despite there being a National Energy Crisis Committee (NECOM) to advise on the Eskom crisis, submissions by various political organisations, Eskom workers and civil society on how to turn around the situation at the power utility.
Ramokgopa said the appointment of special advisors was done in terms of the Public Service Act.
He added that it was limited to two full-time equivalent positions for each Minister and Premier, unless Cabinet or the relevant Provincial Executive Council approved a higher number up to two additional full-time equivalents, for each Minister and Premier because of work requirements.
Ramakgopa explained that NECOM was led by him and comprised more than 100 high-level officials from across government, Eskom, business and social partners.
“NECOM is overseen at a technical level by the director-general in the Presidency to advise on the energy crisis, the removal of barriers to new generation capacity and unlocking energy from various sources, including Eskom, Independent power producers, businesses and households.
“It is important to distinguish that unlike officials seconded to NECOM for the purpose elucidated above, the special advisors are full-time in the office, advising the Minister in his engagements and discharging his delegated constitutional duties,” he said.
Cape Times