Taxpayers Foot R100 Million Bill as Mansions Stand-by for Ramaphosa and Mashatile

Ramaphosa and Mashatile have mansions on stand-by, while taxpayers pay R100 million to embellish the state-owned luxury homes. According to the Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure’s response to a parliamentary Q&A, approximately R62.7 million has been spent since 2018 on maintenance, including salaries for staff on standby in case of visits.

Per BusinessTech, the official residences include the Genadendal Residence in Cape Town for the president and the Highstead Residence, JL Dube House, Mahlamba Ndlomfpu Residence, and OR Tambo House for both the president and deputy president.

Among these properties, the Mahlamba Ndlomfpu Residence in Pretoria has seen the highest expenditure on maintenance and cleaning, totalling around R29 million since 2018. Sources revealed that this property is also most frequently occupied by President Ramaphosa.

Also read: Ramaphosa Denies Ministers Living Like Rock Stars Despite Possessing Billion-Rand Mansions and Luxury Cars

Despite the significant expenditure, President Ramaphosa and Deputy President Mashatile rarely use these state-owned homes, preferring their private luxury residences in Hyde Park, Johannesburg, and Fresnaye, Cape Town. However, the state-owned houses maintain a full staff complement on standby to cater to their needs in case of visits or meetings.

The costs of renovation, maintenance, cleaning, water, electricity, and property taxes for these five luxury homes have totalled R95.2 million over the past five years. These expenses have raised concerns, especially since the properties are underutilised and include a fleet of salaried staff.

The total figures spent on the state-owned homes of the president and deputy president can be accessed in the attached documents, bringing transparency to these expenditures. The revelations have sparked discussions among taxpayers and policymakers about the necessity and prudent use of public funds for such properties.

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Picture: Twitter / themankhosi

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