ActionSA is proud to announce the formal introduction of the Enhanced Cut Cabinet Perks Bill. This is a bold intervention aimed at slashing the bloated costs of one of the world’s largest Cabinets and bringing long-overdue oversight to the secretive Ministerial Handbook.
ActionSA’s Bill comes at a critical time. The GNU is attempting to pass a national budget for the third time, and difficult decisions must be made. Meanwhile, unemployment has risen by a further 1% to 32.9% in the last quarter alone, while the executive has spent over R184 million on travel since the start of the 7th Administration, as revealed by ActionSA’s GNU Performance Tracker.
The luxury lifestyle of South Africa’s executive is unsustainable, unaffordable, and indefensible.
An earlier version of this Bill was introduced by Dr Leon Schreiber in 2023 during the 6th Administration, rightly highlighting the unchecked perks enjoyed by ministers and deputy ministers. However, that Bill quietly lapsed when the DA joined the GNU at the start of the 7th Administration.
When ActionSA entered parliament we took a deliberate decision to revive and strengthen this critical reform. After extensive public consultation, including numerous of submissions from ordinary South Africans, and with endorsements from civil society organisations, the Enhanced Cut Cabinet Perks Bill now includes the following key reforms:
- Ends the President’s unilateral power to amend the Ministerial Handbook without oversight.
- Requires all changes to be reviewed by the Independent Commission for the Remuneration of Public Office Bearers, with regard to prevailing economic conditions.
- Mandates full accountability to Parliament, compelling the President to report all amendments to the National Assembly.
- Demands transparency through the publication of any changes on the Presidency’s official website within 30 days.
- Requires a full parliamentary review of all Cabinet and Presidential perks immediately—and every five years thereafter.
This is just the beginning. The Bill is the first step in ActionSA’s broader Cabinet Reform Packageannounced in March the most ambitious overhaul of the Executive since 1994.
Soon, ActionSA will introduce a Constitutional Amendment to abolish the post of deputy ministers and strengthen parliamentary oversight of all ministerial appointments.
These reforms are not symbolic. They are designed to save taxpayers an estimated R1.5 billion a year, right-size government, and reinvest in the priorities that matter: job creation, basic services, and infrastructure.
But this is about more than money. It’s about restoring dignity to governance. It’s about rebuilding public trust. And it’s about making sure politicians remember who they work for: the people.
We call on every South African to hold their elected representatives to account and demand their support for this Bill. Add your voice to the growing call for change by signing our petition: https://www.actionsa.org.za/cut-the-cabinet/
All parties in Parliament claim to support accountability and cost-cutting. This Bill will test that commitment. We urge all parties to fast-track this legislation through the relevant committee and ensure its swift passage in the National Assembly. Let’s get it to the President’s desk – without delay.
The era of unchecked executive excess must end. With your help, it will.
R1.5 Billion in Savings: ActionSA Officially Tables ‘Enhanced Cut to Cabinet Perks Bill’
ActionSA is proud to announce the formal introduction of the Enhanced Cut Cabinet Perks Bill. This is a bold intervention aimed at slashing the bloated costs of one of the world’s largest Cabinets and bringing long-overdue oversight to the secretive Ministerial Handbook.
ActionSA’s Bill comes at a critical time. The GNU is attempting to pass a national budget for the third time, and difficult decisions must be made. Meanwhile, unemployment has risen by a further 1% to 32.9% in the last quarter alone, while the executive has spent over R184 million on travel since the start of the 7th Administration, as revealed by ActionSA’s GNU Performance Tracker.
The luxury lifestyle of South Africa’s executive is unsustainable, unaffordable, and indefensible.
An earlier version of this Bill was introduced by Dr Leon Schreiber in 2023 during the 6th Administration, rightly highlighting the unchecked perks enjoyed by ministers and deputy ministers. However, that Bill quietly lapsed when the DA joined the GNU at the start of the 7th Administration.
When ActionSA entered parliament we took a deliberate decision to revive and strengthen this critical reform. After extensive public consultation, including numerous of submissions from ordinary South Africans, and with endorsements from civil society organisations, the Enhanced Cut Cabinet Perks Bill now includes the following key reforms:
This is just the beginning. The Bill is the first step in ActionSA’s broader Cabinet Reform Packageannounced in March the most ambitious overhaul of the Executive since 1994.
Soon, ActionSA will introduce a Constitutional Amendment to abolish the post of deputy ministers and strengthen parliamentary oversight of all ministerial appointments.
These reforms are not symbolic. They are designed to save taxpayers an estimated R1.5 billion a year, right-size government, and reinvest in the priorities that matter: job creation, basic services, and infrastructure.
But this is about more than money. It’s about restoring dignity to governance. It’s about rebuilding public trust. And it’s about making sure politicians remember who they work for: the people.
We call on every South African to hold their elected representatives to account and demand their support for this Bill. Add your voice to the growing call for change by signing our petition: https://www.actionsa.org.za/cut-the-cabinet/
All parties in Parliament claim to support accountability and cost-cutting. This Bill will test that commitment. We urge all parties to fast-track this legislation through the relevant committee and ensure its swift passage in the National Assembly. Let’s get it to the President’s desk – without delay.
The era of unchecked executive excess must end. With your help, it will.