Cape Town – Police Minister Bheki Cele has defended the almost half a million rand spent by the government to send him and his executive assistant to watch the Rugby World Cup final in France.
According to EWN, Cele said that the expenditure was within the budget, with just over R33 000 allocated for his travel costs.
While Cele’s trip was sponsored by a private donor, his assistant’s expenses, totaling almost R450 000, have faced criticism, the report said.
Cele argued that the matter was blown out of proportion, comparing it to other ministers’ routine expenses on personal staff for events like funerals, which often go unscrutinised.
“Ministers every weekend they go for funerals, they go with their personal staff, they drive their ministerial cars nobody has calculated how much is spent on that,” the report quoted the minister as saying.
He said that he reported the sponsored travel in his annual declaration to Parliament.
Meanwhile, Times Live reported that the DA plans to submit a Promotion of Access to Information Act (Paia) application to obtain details about the private company that Cele’s trip to France.
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In response to a DA parliamentary question, Cele disclosed that the private company covered his trip expenses, except for subsistence and travel insurance.
However, taxpayers footed the bill for his executive assistant, totaling R446,339.43.
The DA intends to use PAIA to request information about the private entity, travel arrangements, accommodations, and the purpose of the assistant’s attendance.
They also seek clarification on any potential conflicts of interest and plan to submit an ethics complaint against Cele for potential violations of the Executive Members’ Ethics Act, the report said.
According to IOL, the DA said: “The minister was not forthcoming as to which private entity provided the all-expenses-paid trip and, as such, the DA will submit a Paia request to the minister to ascertain some of the following information: the name of the private entity; whether Cele’s assistant flew in business or first class, and stayed in 5-star hotels which were for the taxpayers’ dime; what are the details with regards to the purpose of the assistant travelling to the World Cup; whether any additional expenses were paid for by the taxpayer for VIP protection; and whether the private company has any dealings with the SAPS or government.”
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
