By Siyabonga Mkhwanazi
Political Bureau
Communications Minister Siphiwe Nyanda's year-long stay at luxury Cape Town hotels has cost taxpayers half a million rands.
The minister confirmed that he moved into his Cape Town official residence in April.
Responding to a written parliamentary question from Cope MP Juli Kilian, Nyanda said he had been unable to occupy his official residence last May because it was not ready for occupation.
The Department of Public Works had said the house did not have furniture and there was some work still to be done on it.
While working from Cape Town, the minister stayed at the Mount Nelson Hotel and the 12 Apostles Hotel and Spa from April last year until the end of March this year.
Asked by Kilian for a breakdown of costs - for the total of R515 000 spent - incurred by his department, including the rate per suite per night, Nyanda said his department was busy reconciling its books as it had just changed travel agents.
He promised to submit the information once this process had been finalised.
Nyanda's stay at the Mount Nelson Hotel and 12 Apostles Hotel and Spa, whose luxury rooms reportedly cost more than R4 000 a night, caused a public outcry.
For a luxury suite at the Mount Nelson, the cost is reportedly R11 000 a night.
The minister's splurge at the hotels was roundly condemned by the opposition and even by an ANC-aligned student movement, the South African Students Congress, who accused Nyanda of living "the life of a rich tourist in Cape Town."
DA MP and national spokeswoman Lindiwe Mazibuko, who had asked Nyanda a similar question, said yesterday she was relieved that the minister had finally moved into his official residence, almost a year after assuming office.
"I would argue that he moved out because of public pressure. We have more questions for the Department of Public Works.
"We want to find out (from them) what the delay was in getting him the requisite furniture for the house. Five hundred thousand rands is a lot of money for a department with a small budget. It is scandalous that he'll spend that kind of money (on hotel accommodation)," said Mazibuko.
Kilian said Nyanda had demonstrated his habit of enjoying the finer things in life at the expense of taxpayers, who had to foot the bill.
"That confirms he's a caviar minister. It speaks of gross irresponsibility. All institutions had austerity measures, and he should lead from the top. It's also unacceptable that they can't provide a breakdown of costs. I regard that as a cover-up. We need to get some accountability back in government. It's not a good start for a minister and he needs to mend his ways," said Kilian.
ID leader Patricia de Lille said the Department of Public Works needed to be held accountable for the delay, but also blamed Nyanda for taking up residence at luxury hotels.
"Part of the solution is that we need to put a cap on what any public representative can spend on accommodation per night. We can't leave it open-ended," she said.
De Lille said Nyanda should have shown some humility and stayed at a less costly hotel.
"There is no sanction for the minister of public works (Geoff Doidge) for having delayed (Nyanda) to move into his house. We haven't seen sanctions in this country. We cry about (huge expenditure) but the money is gone," she added.