Thuli lets politicians off the hook

JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA - OCTOBER 27: Minister of Sport and Recreation, Fikile Mbalula speaks about the death of Senzo Meyiwa during the South African national womens soccer team press conference at SAFA House on October 27, 2014 in Johannesburg, South Africa. (Photo by Lee Warren/Gallo Images)

JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA - OCTOBER 27: Minister of Sport and Recreation, Fikile Mbalula speaks about the death of Senzo Meyiwa during the South African national womens soccer team press conference at SAFA House on October 27, 2014 in Johannesburg, South Africa. (Photo by Lee Warren/Gallo Images)

Published Mar 31, 2015

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Johannesburg - Three government leaders were on Monday exonerated when Public Protector Thuli Madonsela did not find any wrongdoing after a probe into their conduct.

Sports and Recreation Minister Fikile Mbalula and his deputy Gert Oosthuizen were investigated for allegedly wasting departmental funds by spending about R2.6 million on 345 domestic and international flights.

DA MP Winston Rabotapi lodged the complaint. Madonsela said he had been informed of the outcome of the investigation and was happy with it.

She said Mbalula and Oosthuizen delayed giving their responses for the investigation.

She, however, said there was no evidence that the two acted “improperly or outside the department’s mandate”.

Madonsela said the trips were taken in line with their department’s policies.

Mbalula took 12 international trips at a cost of R767 000.20 and 63 domestic flights at R361 622. Trips to Parliament accounted for R197 800.

Oosthuizen had spent about R1.1m on 105 flights. He took 16 international trips at a cost of R897 927 and 77 domestic trips at a cost of R514 680, with R369 676 to travel to Parliament.

Madonsela said she found no evidence indicating a penchant for affluent or excessive expenditure in any of the trips involved.

“Having said that, I do hope that ministers take into account that we are a country where children in some rural villages have no electricity, classrooms… and even sports facilities,” Madonsela said.

She said she had compared their travel patterns with other ministers and found they were similar. Most of Mbalula and Oosthuizen’s international trips were in first class, which the ministerial handbook allowed at the time.

Since then, former minister of finance Pravin Gordhan has introduced austerity measures, including that ministers not travel first class and limit the use of five-star hotels.

Another politician who is off the hook is KwaZulu-Natal Health MEC Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo. DA member of the provincial legislature Sizwe Mchunu asked Madonsela to investigate Dhlomo for using an emergency helicopter to attend a funeral in Hlabisa in the province in November 2012.

While he was there, 15-year-old Asheen Maharaj was involved in an accident and there was no emergency helicopter to get to the scene and take him to hospital.

Asheen was transported in an ambulance but died.

Mchunu alleged Dhlomo had used the South African Red Cross Air Mercy Service Trust helicopter, the only available emergency medical helicopter in the eThekwini metro to fly to Hlabisa for non-medical emergency purposes.

The distance between Durban and Hlabisa is 268km.

Madonsela said she had found that Dhlomo was not only attending a funeral in Hlabisa but also had health-related meetings with the community.

She found his conduct was not improper as the contract for the helicopter permitted the department to use it for a certain number of hours a month.

“It permits the use of some of these hours for administrative use. It is a discomforting policy, and other provinces should review their policies because they are similar.

“The arrangement also feeds negative perceptions regarding competing needs of patients and departmental management.”

Mbalula welcomed Madonsela’s report, adding: “We hope those who were looking for answers will accept the findings and lay the matter to rest.”

The Star

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