The DA has hailed as a victory President Cyril Ramaphosa’s decision to withdraw certain amendments he made to the Ministerial Handbook back in April, which would have seen taxpayers paying for the water water and electricity that ministers use at their official residences.

The DA says it also exposed that the new Handbook would have nearly doubled the number of ANC cadres employed in ministerial offices, which would cost the public at least R87 million more every year.

The party had threatened to protest at Bryntirion Estate, which is home to the presidential residence and dozens of ministerial mansions, if the amendments were not withdrawn.

A few hours later, Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, announced that the President had scrapped the amendment, following public outrage.

He said the president ordered the withdrawal of the Cabinet minute, which effected amendments to the ministerial handbook pending a review.

Magwenya denied that the ministerial handbook was amended in “secrecy” but said the president had listened to the public outcry.

The DA says it will however persist in efforts to completely reform the Ministerial Handbook system, which currently gives the President dictatorial powers to force taxpayers to pay for ministerial perks, without even having to inform Parliament or the public.

The party says it means that Ramaphosa is entirely at liberty to reintroduce the perks he has just withdrawn at any moment, without any parliamentary oversight.

The DA’s spokesperson on Public Service and Administration Leon Schreiber:

“This is absolutely unacceptable and presents a danger to our constitutional democracy, which is why the DA will continue to pursue the complaint we lodged with the Public Protector last week. Instead of Ramaphosa having dictatorial powers to dish out patronage to his Cabinet colleagues, it must be Parliament, through an open, transparent and participatory process, that decides on any limited Cabinet benefits that may be appropriate in particular cases. We hope that the Public Protector will agree with us on this.”