213.251.145.96 AS SECTION 01 OF 02 CAPE TOWN 000204 SIPDIS EO 12958 N/A TAGS PGOV, KDEM, SF SUBJECT: GOVERNMENT SPENDS EXCESIVELY ON LUXURY CARS ¶1. (U) In recent months government Ministers and senior officials have spent roughly 4 million USD on luxury vehicles. Although the spending is in accordance with the Ministerial Handbook and no regulations have been broken, the public outcry has been enormous. (Note: Ministers are entitled to a state-purchased car equivalent to the value of 70 percent of their annual salary End Note.) In light of the global economic crisis, and the fact that many South Africans lack access to basic services such as water, sewage, electricity and garbage removal, there is a renewed public awareness and discontent over excessive government spending. WE ARE LEGION WE DO NOT FORGIVE WE DO NOT FORGET