Aristide is costing South Africa at least R5-million a year

A reply to a Democratic Alliance (DA) parliamentary question (question included below) shows that ousted former Haitian leader Jean-Bertrand Aristide is continuing to receive special treatment from the state with state-funded accommodation, office staff, transport and security equivalent to that provided to a Cabinet minister. A conservative estimate puts Aristide's total annual cost to the South African taxpayer at upwards of R5-million.

While the Department of International Relations and Cooperation has provided an inadequate answer on the costs associated with supporting Aristide, and the DA will be asking further follow-up questions to obtain more specific information, it is possible to draw up a rough estimate of his costs:

• Accommodation: Ministerial houses are usually valued in the range of R3m-R4m.
• Car allowance: Aristide's car allowance would be around R1.2m.  
• Staff: The reply does not say how many staff are employed to manage Aristide's affairs. But if he employs three people, this could easily be costing the state R500 000 a year.
• Security: This is determined by the VIP unit according to their estimates of need. Earlier this year it was revealed that Jacob Zuma's security was costing the state R1m a month. If Aristide's security costs are even a twentieth of this, it is costing the state R50 000 a month (R600 000 a year).

The ministerial guidelines state specifically that a minister may not hold another job and receive a salary from the state. Aristide is not receiving a salary, but he is receiving generous benefits. Yet he continues to hold a research fellow in the College of Human Sciences at Unisa.

Aristide has been living in South Africa since May 2004. At the time that he fled to South Africa, then Presidential spokesperson Joel Netshitenzhe said "This is a temporary arrangement until the Haitian situation stabilizes and Aristide can return". Five years later, he appears to have settled down here permanently.

South Africa is having to cope with a flood of refugees fleeing persecution and corrupt government. If we are to spend money on refugees, we should rather spend it on processing the applications of those who are really in need, not on maintaining at enormous expense a powerful man with a tainted reputation.

PARLIAMENTARY QUESTION:

Whether former Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide remains resident in South Africa; if so, (a) Where is he currently living and (b) (i) what budget was allocated for the maintenance of his household in each of the financial years that he has been resident in South Africa and (ii) how is this budget broken down for (aa) security, (bb) household running costs, (cc) vehicles, (dd) staff and other specified costs?

REPLY:

a) The Former President is currently residing in Gauteng, South Africa

b) (i) The South African Government generally owns the accommodation and assets provided for utilisation with regard to the residence in Gauteng of former president Jean-Bertrand Aristide and the costs related thereto, like those of Cabinet Ministers, are integrated into the operations of Government. The South African Government budgets for these services to former president Jean-

Bertrand Aristide are equivalent to those provided to a South African Cabinet Minister.

(ii) (aa) - (dd) The monthly costs related to his accommodation, transport, office staff and security are similar to the cost associated to a South African Cabinet Minister

The DA Office administrator: about R120 000 per year

Whether former Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide remains resident in South Africa; if so, (a) Where is he currently living and (b) (i) what budget was allocated for the maintenance of his household in each of the financial years that he has been resident in South Africa and (ii) how is this budget broken down for (aa) security, (bb) household running costs, (cc) vehicles, (dd) staff and other specified costs?

REPLY:

a) The Former President is currently residing in Gauteng, South Africa

b) (i) The South African Government generally owns the accommodation and assets provided for utilisation with regard to the residence in Gauteng of former president Jean-Bertrand Aristide and the costs related thereto, like those of Cabinet Ministers, are integrated into the operations of Government. The South African Government budgets for these services to former president Jean-Bertrand Aristide are equivalent to those provided to a South African Cabinet Minister.

(ii) (aa) - (dd) The monthly costs related to his accommodation, transport, office staff and security are similar to the cost associated to a South African Cabinet Minister.

Statement issued by Kenneth Mubu MP, Democratic Alliance shadow minister of international relations and cooperation, June 28 2009

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