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(Photo by Gallo Images / Jeffrey Abrahams)
- The district attorney has written to the Auditor General’s Office requesting an investigation into Parliament’s spending on flights for former cabinet ministers.
- According to data compiled by the Prosecutor’s Office, Parliament has spent around R10 million annually to pay for luxury flights.
- Opposition MPs who served in government were also found to be racking up high travel costs.
The district attorney has asked the Auditor General to investigate Parliament for spending millions on former jet-setting cabinet ministers.
This followed reports from former ministers and their spouses continuing to fly business class at the expense of cash-strapped taxpayers.
According to data collected by the prosecution, Parliament had spent around R10 million annually to pay for luxury flights.
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In a statement, DA spokesman on administration and public service, Leon Schreiber, said that Malusi Gigaba and his spouse received R200 413 for flights.
Also he said:
- Former Energy Minister Tina Joematt-Pettersson received R443 850 to finance her flights;
- Former Finance Minister Des van Rooyen obtained R242 015 for flights;
- Fikile Mbalula and his wife received R183 920 in plane tickets; Y
- Former ANC Western Cape leader Marius Fransman received R94 261, while former Minister of State Security Bongani Bongo earned R78 000 in plane tickets.
Bongo is currently facing bribery and corruption charges after allegedly attempting to bribe a parliamentary official.
These amounts were the totals for fiscal years 2018-19 and 2019-20.
Schreiber said that some ANC members who belatedly pretended to speak out against corruption to save their own skin also had great results.
“Enoch Godongwana, who got R240 442 from the people of South Africa in the past two years. Derek Hanekom, who had no qualms about spending R114 432 of taxpayer money on luxury airline tickets last year. Roelf Meyer, who used R224 966 as taxpayer money for flights in the last two years. Trevor Manuel, who milked taxpayers in the amount of R312 135 in the last two years and Mcebisi Jonas and his spouse, who spent R378 290 on luxury flights in two years “, said.
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Schreiber said that, however, it was not just ANC members who were flying across the country at the expense of taxpayers.
“Pieter Mulder, former Freedom Front Plus leader and enthusiastic member of the Zuma government, and his spouse used R144 795 in taxpayer money for business class tickets. Mosiuoa Lekota, Cope leader, gladly accepted R74 777 on flights executive class and Mosibudi Mangena, former leader of Azapo, spent R344 231, “he said.
Screiber added:
Not only are these luxury flights an immoral and corrupt waste of money at a time when more South Africans than ever have been thrown into poverty by the policies of the same people who continue to live in luxury, but the DA also believes that the granting of these benefits are illegal.
In his letter to the Attorney General, Schreiber said he believed the flight costs amounted to highly irregular spending by Parliament.
“It seems, then, that this benefit has been paid throughout the 26 years of our democracy despite the fact that there is no legal basis for it, at the same time that it flagrantly violates the constitutionally ordered separation between the legislative and the executive” , said. .
Parliament had yet to respond to a request for comment.
