With Sbu Ndelbele giving back his Merc S600L because he could “get a better car with the generous government car allowance” and Gauteng MEC for Agriculture Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko having to resign based on her Mercedes ML63 AMG being stolen before it was insured, I’ve been wondering something. What this does make me wonder is whether we’re actually in a recession in South Africa if we’re buying cars worth a million rand with taxpayers money.
You see, a second hand ML63 AMG costs close on a million rand and I cannot help but wonder why a minister in a provincial government requires such an expensive car? My issue is how does being appointed to the government (the local government at that) justify such an impressive car? Considering the fact that you’re looking at roughly a twenty five thousand rand monthly payment (over 60 months or the five years that the government will be in power) and maybe it’s just me but surely that money could be used better elsewhere? Considering the GDP per head in South Africa is roughly $5600 (or around R44000 per year) then every two months the government has paid for the average person’s salary for the year. Now bearing in mind that South African GDP distribution is horribly skewed (we have one of the highest GINI coefficient’s in the world) and thus there are very few people actually in this band you’re probably looking at paying ten people’s salary per month with the payment on a Mercedes ML63AMG. Now bear in mind that this is one MEC in one province then we’re looking at a fat monthly bill country wide.
Here’s my thought: why does anyone require a Merc ML63 considering they will be driving it from their office to their house? I cannot comprehend why an ML-Class 4X4 is required over something like a basic, entry level Mercedes C-Class? You could theoretically buy close on four C-Class C200’s for the same price as one ML63 AMG. All things considered, I don’t see how a MEC in a provincial government needs a top of the range vehicle, something reserved for only the most successful Entrepreneurs and corporate climbers.
Education, policing, housing and helping South Africa out of its recession could all be vastly more useful ways to allocate these budgets. While I applaud the fact that Ndebele gave his car back and Nkomo-Ralehoko resigned but frankly giving each member of a provincial government a million rand car allowance is a ridiculous extravangance.
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Excellent article – I was wondering the very same thing when I read about a MC driving a ML63.
I am sometimes disgusted by this country’s leadership. Normal aspirate their entire lives to drive a Merc C-class or BMW 3. I am pretty sure these ministers would not be caught dead driving such a “lowly” car.
SA is in a recession, it’s just the people in government “rewarding” themselves for doing such a good job. If everyone had jobs, AIDS was under control and no-one had to live in shacks in townships, then the government can give out cars like this. But until then, it’s just another sign of what’s wrong with SA.