ANC lambasts fired ministers for resigning as MPs to ‘protect pensions’
Gwede Mantashe says Tina Joemat-Petterson‚ Dipuo Peters and Mcebisi Jonas should ‘learn from SACP’ who stayed in Parliament when Zuma fired them in 2014
ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe has criticised former ministers who have resigned as MPs this week after they were dropped from President Jacob Zuma’s Cabinet. Mantashe said on Thursday that former energy minister Tina Joemat-Petterson‚ former transport minister Dipuo Peters, and former deputy finance minister Mcebisi Jonas should have learned from SACP MPs who stayed on in Parliament when Zuma fired them in 2014. Mantashe lashed out at the now former MPs who, he said, quickly resigned in a clear attempt to preserve lucrative pension benefits‚ accumulated through their ministerial jobs‚ which were likely to plummet had they stayed on as ordinary legislators who earn less than members of the executive. "The pension structure of Parliament, as you know ... people are removed as ministers‚ they resign to protect their pensions. When people get to the back benches they lose their pensions. Their pension will be calculated at the rate of a backbencher‚" said Mantashe. "In the past, ...
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