The taxpayers’ bill for ministerial and officialdom’s flights between the Union Buildings and Parliament cost R40.7 million for the 2014/15 financial year – and that’s not yet the final tally.
Almost two-thirds of the cabinet has now responded to a series of parliamentary questions by the EFF to each of the 34 ministries about how much was spent on flying, accommodating and transporting ministers, their deputies and officials between Pretoria, the seat of the executive, and Cape Town’s Parliament.
Full or partial answers have come from 14 ministers, another six referred the EFF to the non-specific general travel and subsistence line item in their 2014/15 reports, while two ministers requested more time to compile the information.
To date only tourism, mineral resources, public enterprises and the ministry for women in the Presidency have answered in full.
Their total expenditure amounts to just short of R13.25m.
- Tourism spent R184 543.72 on 27 trips for the minister, R160 358.38 for 25 trips by the deputy minister – but nothing on their accommodation and transport – and R503 358.12 on 81 trips by departmental officials on whom the department spent another R179 703.41 for accommodation and car rentals.
- The women’s ministry, which has no deputy, spent R275 905 on 27 ministerial trips, while the 68 trips undertaken by officials cost R1.442m, with an additional R257 626.03 on officials’ accommodation and R107 251.02 on car rental for the officials.
- Mineral resources, in addition to last week’s reply that ministerial travel cost almost R425 000, this week said it spent R1 243 610.64 on 225 trips by officials, plus R330 081.57 on officials’ accommodation and R208 225.73 on car rentals.
- Public service and administration spent R983 417.69 on 150 trips by its officials, and R362 555.05 on accommodation and R111 693.96 on car rentals – totalling R1 457 666.70.
- International relations officials spent R439 893.90 on 75 trips, plus R210 542.21 on accommodation and R115 795.21 on car rentals – totalling R766 231.32.
- Health spent R2 424 728 on 31 trips, as well as R339 663 on accommodation and R41 200 on car rentals – totalling R2 805 591.
- Communications officials’ travel cost R723 000 for 120 trips, with another R136 000 spent on accommodation and car rental – totalling R859 000.
- Public works spent R238 670.94 on 48 trips by officials, with another R79 666.50 spent on accommodation and R25 844.61 on car hire – totalling R344 182.05.
- Justice spent R642 886.72 on 120 trips by officials, alongside R128 994.48 for accommodation and R55 007.56 on car hire – totalling R826 888.76.
The police ministry this week followed in the footsteps of rural development, which last week said it was compiling the information.
The deadline is September 30 according to the Public Finance Management Act.
Cape Argus