Gauteng - Gauteng government leaders are abusing their official credit cards, it was reported on Tuesday.
In the past two years, leaders including Premier Nomvula Mokonyane, had used them to stay in luxury hotels, eat in expensive restaurants and buy leather products in overseas boutiques, Beeld reported.
The newspaper had brought a high court application to gain access to the Mokonyane's credit card statements under the Promotion of Access to Information Act.
It reported that, according to the statements, Mokonyane had dined in local and international restaurants, paying up to R16 000 for a single “dinner meeting”.
In October 2011, she spent R2585 at the Salvatore Ferragamo luxury leather goods boutique during a trip to Milan.
Beeld reported that infrastructure development MEC Qedani Mahlangu spent R7309 at a leather goods boutique in Istanbul.
Finance MEC Mandla Nkomfe reportedly spent more than R160 000 in one year, primarily on entertainment, fuel and car maintenance, even though his annual package includes a car allowance.
The premier earns R1.88 million a year, and MECs R1.65m each.
According to the newspaper, the provincial legislature's integrity commissioner Dr Ralph Mgijima recommended in 2012 that the ministerial handbook should be edited to clarify any ambiguity about the use of official credit cards.
“If it were up to me, I would ban all personal purchases on credit cards.... Actually I think it's a good idea to abolish credit cards entirely,” he said. - Sapa