DA furious at bill for presidential inauguration to cost R120m
The economy is in dire straits, says the DA, yet taxpayers will have to divvy up for the ‘jamboree’
The presidential inauguration scheduled to take place on May 25 will cost taxpayers a staggering R120m. A similar amount was budgeted for the inauguration of Jacob Zuma five years ago, while the event in 2009 cost about R75m. The national election this year will take place on May 8, and various pollsters and analysts says the ANC will win, paving the way for Cyril Ramaphosa to be elected president in the National Assembly. According to a document by a multi-party task-team on the establishment of the sixth parliament, which was revealed by the DA on Thursday, the national legislature’s budget requirements pertaining to the inauguration are not included in the R120m. “The [parliament’s] CFO will engage and negotiate with the presidency to have parliaments’ costs accommodated in the R120m budget,” the document states. DA chief whip John Steenhuisen said the amount budgeted for the inauguration is excessive and cannot be justified, especially considering the subdued economy and the ...
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