Johannesburg - The South African government has urged the public not to flaunt their wealth, the City Press newspaper reported.
"This criticism is meant for everyone. That is why government has led the way with Treasury introducing austerity measures to curb unnecessary spending by the executive and government," said Josephilda Nhlapo-Hlophe, the outcomes facilitator for the presidency's department of planning, performance monitoring and evaluation.
"Many times we see people who we know do not work or have access to income and suddenly the person is driving a flashy car. The question people will ask is: "Where does that person get this money from?"
She said these people "might not be a good role model for young kids who think getting flashy things is more important than hard work and the contributions they are making to society".
The directive was issued in the Medium-Term Strategic Framework 2014 -2019 document - of which Nhlapo-Hlophe drafted the social cohesion section.