T Didiza: President Mbeki's private residence

5 September 2006

Madame Speaker
Deputy President
Honourable members
Fellow South Africans

Firstly I wish to thank Madam Speaker for allowing me to address this august
house on a matter of public importance, which relates to the policy on the
privileges of public representatives including the President and the Deputy
President. I do so not because of the so-called question from the Democratic
Alliance (DA) which has not reached my office, nor the questions offered in
this very Parliament as we speak.

Madam Speaker, I thought it was necessary to explain to our people and
members of this National Assembly (NA) the policy guidelines and conventions
that have been used with regard to the privileges of public representatives,
including the President, Deputy President and the former President and Deputy
President.

Madam Speaker, it is important for me to go back to this matter of the so
called question by Honourable Douglas Gibson to myself on the matter of the
private residence of the President. During this previous weekend an impression
has been created that government did not respond on the question raised on this
matter, and that is why you had to take a dramatic step. Clearly, I had to
follow up the matter, since it is the responsibility of the Minister of Public
Works to provide security-related infrastructure to the houses of public
representatives where policy determines. Following this enquiry, I have an
email which I received from Mr Michael Plaatjie today, confirming that there
has not been a question on the President's private residence that has been
received by this office. Clearly, honourable Douglas has to check what was done
by his office, so that he can indeed apologise for misleading the public as he
did by claiming that a question had been sent for me to answer when it actually
has not been.

At the end of last week we all witnessed an unfortunate and strange
behaviour, where one our members of Parliament led a contingent of journalists
to the private residence of our Head of State, President Mbeki. This visit
followed an enquiry from an individual who posed himself as the researcher of
the Democratic Alliance to the contractor, requesting information relating to
the location of the house of the President that they were building. One of the
interesting issues that we may all need to reflect on was what was of interest
to the said researcher on this private residence? As it emerged later that
Friday and as it went on during the weekend and this morning in the radio,
honourable Gibson believed the state was building a private residence for the
President and had kept the house under wraps as it is has been stated in one of
the Sunday papers this past weekend.

What then does the policy say on these matters with regard to public
representatives? The handbook for members of the Executive and Presiding
Officers, Chapter four (1) on residences clearly indicates how the state
allocates official residences. Chapter four (2) further states how the state
provides security arrangements for private residences used for official
purposes as it is covered in Chapter two, paragraph three which states the
following, "On assumption of office, members should approach the Minister for
Intelligence Services and the Minister for Safety and Security, for a security
analysis and arrangements for the provision of appropriate security. Members
and their support staff should, at all time, adhere to the security
arrangements and policies, and take precautions not to do anything that will
compromise security."

The analysis referred to in 3.1 above, will include security of private
residences occupied on a regular basis, state-owned residences, private
residences, personal security and the offices utilised by the members.

The Minister of Public Works should be requested to implement, in
conjunction with the South African Police Service (SAPS), the recommended
security arrangements at privately owned residences in terms of the scheme
approved by the Cabinet for this purpose.

In addition to the handbook for the members of the Executive and Presiding
Officers, there is a policy that relates to privileges of former Presidents,
their Spouses, Widows and Widowers which spells out what these privileges are
and what the responsibility of the State is in this regard.

In this policy the state has the following obligations:

1. Official Residence:
The former President and his or her family may, from the date of resignation
from the office, remain in the official residence of his or her choice for up
to 60 days with retention of all existing privileges they previously enjoyed in
the residence.

2. Security:
The security services rendered to a former President will continue after his or
her departure from the official residence for as long as and at the level that
the Minister of Safety and Security deems necessary.

Security measures at the private residences of former Presidents will be
dealt with in terms of the policy adopted by Cabinet on 20 August 2003.

3.4.6 Refers: the security measures that have been agreed to in the above
process shall be implemented as follows:

* the South African Police Service (SAPS) personnel and related costs shall
be provided and funded by the SAPS
* structural additions and amendments shall be provided and maintained and
funded by the Department of Public Works

3.4.7 States that the security situation at the private properties owned and
regularly used by the formers Presidents and their immediate families shall,
from time to time, be revisited by the SAPS, based on the findings of a threat
analysis. The SAPS shall report its findings to the Minister of Safety and
Security. This may at any time lead to upgrading, downgrading or termination of
security measures. If security measures are downgraded or terminated, any
permanent structures shall become the property of the owner of the land on
which the said structures shall become the property of the owner or the land on
which the said structures were erected, who shall have to maintain them.

3.9 of the handbook states that the former President may request secure
office accommodation, with secure parking facilities. Such accommodation will
be provided by the Department and is limited to 120 square metres.

Honourable members, with regard to Members of Parliament, Public works
offers accommodation, security and transport to members, as directed by the
Parliamentary Villages Management Board Act No 96 of 1998.

Clearly, in this regard the state has acted within policy with regard to the
private residence of Mr and Mrs Mbeki.

Thank You.

Issued by: Department of Public Works
5 September 2006