Cape Town - Two state departments spent more than R60 million in “unforeseeable and unavoidable” costs for Nelson Mandela’s state funeral last year, taking the total national government tab for the burial to close to R200m.
The latest figures are contained in the adjusted estimates of national expenditure document released on Wednesday along with the Medium Term Budget Policy Statement presented by Finance Minister Nhanhla Nene.
The document states that the Department of Communications spent R23.2m for “satellite connectivity, broadcast services and telecommunications network solution for the funeral of the late president Nelson Mandela”.
The Department of Transport was allocated R42.020m for “general transport services rendered” at the funeral that included the transporting of goods and people as well as traffic control.
On civil aviation, which falls within the department, R2.1m was allocated for “ground-handling support equipment provided at Mthatha Airport for the funeral”.
In January, it was revealed that the deployment of 11 894 members of the SANDF during the funeral service between December 6 and December 20 was expected to have cost R122m, President Jacob Zuma disclosed in letters to Parliament.
The letters were to former National Assembly Speaker Max Sisulu and National Council of Provinces chairman Mninwa Mahlangu, and were published in the daily parliamentary papers.
The president is obliged, in terms of the constitution, to inform Parliament of his decision to deploy troops either inside or outside South Africa.
Municipalities in the Eastern Cape also poured in millions of rand into the funeral and memorial services,
Buffalo City municipality mayor Zukiswa Ncitha and two others were arrested earlier this year for alleged fraud involving Mandela’s memorial service.
Meanwhile, King Sabata Dalindyebo municipality in Mthatha said the total cost for Mandela’s funeral amounted to R21.7m, with the provincial treasury paying R14.7m.
The municipality also paid out R4.4m for “unfunded” projects that included catering of R2.6m.
The Mandela funeral was not the only “unforeseeable” expense in the medium term budget, with the Ebola outbreak in West Africa receiving R32m from the Department of Health to help in the fight against the disease.
Political Bureau