Wasteful expenditure: UN gender summit - another lavish overseas trip for ANC government officials

Athol Trollip, Parliamentary Leader of the Democratic Alliance
28 March 2011


The Democratic Alliance (DA) is stunned by reports that a delegation of 49 government officials, including eight ministers and deputy ministers, flew business class to New York on a two-week junket and failed to attend many of the sessions of the United Nations gender summit where they were supposed to represent South Africa. We understand that the cost of this trip was at least R6.8 million.


This brings the total amount of wasteful expenditure incurred since the start of the Zuma administration to R4 192 557 096.


Ministers and Deputy Ministers in attendance included Minister for Women, Youth, Children and People with Disabilities, Lulu Xingwana, who led the South African delegation, Correctional Services Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini and Deputy Ministers Elizabeth Thabethe of Trade and Industry, Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu of Public Works; Deputy Police Minister Maggie Sotyu, her health counterpart Gwen Ramokgopa, and Deputy Higher Education Minister Hlengiwe Mkhize.


The Sunday Times reported that delegates stayed at five-star hotels, which included the Ritz Carlton, where prices start at R5 500 per night, and that business class tickets were used. Minister Mapisa-Nqakula apparently failed to attend a single session, and complaints were received about the size of the delegation that was sent. Read more ...