Limpopo - Limpopo Premier Cassel Mathale splurged R111 000 of taxpayers’ money on personal entertainment at the Cape Town International Jazz Festival.
The Star understands that Mathale attended last weekend’s musical celebration in his private capacity.
Flight tickets, hotel accommodation for two nights, car rental in Cape Town and meal expenses were paid for by the taxpayer, according to official documents seen by The Star.
Mathale took his wife and two bodyguards on the trip.
On Thursday, he refused to explain why he had used government money on “private” entertainment in an apparent contravention of a provision in the Ministerial Handbook that justifies entertainment expenses only for official duties.
The handbook serves as a guideline for executive members.
“All other reception and entertainment expenses are considered private and for the account of the (executive) member,” the handbook’s Chapter 11 reads in part.
The Star has also seen the “premier’s monthly programme” for this month. It reveals that Mathale was set to register for the jazz festival at the five-star Westin Hotel in Cape Town last Friday.
It is unclear if he had checked in at the luxury hotel, as hotel officials would not divulge this information.
However, the premier’s monthly programme indicates that he attended the musical event on Friday night and Saturday at Cape Town’s International Convention Centre.
This was confirmed by a highly placed source from the Limpopo premier’s office.
While Mathale was in the Mother City, at home he was being slated by the widow of SANDF soldier Darius Seakamela, who perished in the Central African Republic mission last month.
Seakamela was among 13 soldiers who died when the Seleka rebels ambushed the South African army camp in the country’s capital, Bangui.
Seakamela’s wife Gratia criticised Mathale for not attending or delegating an MEC to attend the fallen soldier’s funeral on Saturday.
“If maybe he was busy, he could have still managed to come in the two weeks before the funeral took place.
“MECs and premiers attended the funerals of the other soldiers. Perhaps our loss has not pained him as much as it has us and others,” SABC radio quoted Gratia as saying on Wednesday.
Other soldiers were buried in the Free State, North West, Eastern Cape, Northern Cape, Western Cape and Gauteng. But neither Mathale nor any of his MECs attended Seakamela’s memorial service last Thursday or his funeral on Saturday - both were held at My Darling Village, north-west of Polokwane.
The premier’s spokesperson, Mashadi Mathosa, told the public broadcaster that Mathale had not attended the funeral because he had “private” commitments.
“The premier was unable to attend the funeral and other ceremonies, because of the equally pressing private matters that he had to take care of and the sitting of the legislature. He expressed condolences and gratitude to the family,” Mathosa said.
On Thursday, Mathosa refused to comment or clarify if Mathale’s private commitments included the jazz festival. - The Star