More fuss over Nyanda's cars

By Paul Vecchiatto, ITWeb Cape Town correspondent

Johannesburg, 10 Sept 2009

The fuss over communications minister Siphiwe Nyanda's official purchase of two luxury BMW cars will not die down. His department yesterday hit back at remarks made by the country's largest trade union federation.

The latest round of words erupted when the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) congratulated finance minister Pravan Gordhan's purchase of a “modest” Lexus and an Audi A8 for just under R600 000 each.

At the same time, the federation took a swipe at Nyanda's communications department for its purchase of two BMWs, one for Pretoria and the other for Cape Town, at a combined cost of R2.2 million.

Cosatu also called on ministers who have used the government rulebook to buy themselves R1 million-plus vehicles to kindly return them and replace them with the kind of modest cars bought by Gordhan and others.

“The federation demands that government adopts a new set of rules based on the revolutionary ethos and morality of the ANC-led liberation movement, so that, in future, ministers are seen to be setting an example of promoting the public interest and not their own selfish interests,” the statement said.

Cosatu is a key member in the tripartite alliance with the ruling African National Congress and the SA Communist Party.

Firm retort

The Department of Communications (DOC) took issue with these comments, replying: “We have stated several times that the Department of Communications did not violate any rule when it secured official vehicles for the minister of communications. Cabinet has also stated that the political office bearers, who acquired official vehicles upon assuming office, did not break any rule.”

The DOC says it finds it opportunistic for Cosatu to turn a blind eye to all these facts and rather embark on a tirade in a bid to cast aspersions over the minister of communications' conscience.

“We also find it absurd for Cosatu to suggest that the minister should now return the official vehicles, the tools with which he is supposed to deliver on his mandate and meet the expectations of the public,” the DOC statement said.

The statement also says Cosatu's suggestion that the ministerial handbook is a product of the apartheid era is without basis, reckless and unfortunate. “For the record, the current ministerial handbook was reviewed and approved by Cabinet on 7 February 2007, 13 years into freedom and democracy.”

At war

Independent political commentator Daniel Silke says the issue of the ministerial cars reflects a broader issue of a moral battle that is being waged.

“Cosatu sees itself as some kind of moral watchdog as it protects the workers' interests. It is also about scoring political points.”

Silke says president Jacob Zuma's Cabinet would do well in reviewing the ministerial handbook that sets the rules and regulations for what ministers are allowed to buy for their official use.

“During these times of economic austerity, it would do well to devalue the cars that ministers are allowed to use.”

While such a review would not mean that Nyanda would have to give back his cars, it may mean that further purchases by either him, or other ministers, would be of a far lesser value, Silke notes.

He adds the issue over the cost of the vehicles does not seem to be hampering the minister in his current duties, but there is always the chance that it may overshadow them at some other stage.