ActionSA can reveal that Ministers in the Government of National Unity (GNU) have racked up more than R200 million in travel expenses since assuming office less than a year ago, a figure that will balloon as we await updated replies to our questions.
This figure, compiled through ActionSA’s GNU Performance Tracker, follows the latest replies to our parliamentary questions submitted to every Minister, including the President, Deputy President and the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture. It paints a damning picture of executive indulgence at a time of deep economic crisis, when 5 000 South Africans lose their jobs every single working day.
Just this week, a reply revealed that Deputy President Paul Mashatile and his wife spent over R900,000 on just four nights’ accommodation in Japan. That’s enough to build a decent home for a family in need for each night they spent in luxury. This kind of wasteful expenditure, an extension of ANC excess now rebranded under the GNU, has become business as usual for the world’s most bloated executive.
Now, the latest addition to the GNU’s globe-trotting saga is a long-overdue reply from Minister Gayton McKenzie, whose department has spent R6.6 million on international travel. Not only is this spending exorbitant, but it is riddled with red flags, gaps, and inconsistencies.
Among the most shocking items is a R164 556 payment for a trip to Burkina Faso that never took place. The public paid for flights and accommodation for an event that was ultimately abandoned, a textbook case of wasteful expenditure, as defined by the Public Finance Management Act. Unless the Minister can demonstrate that this loss was unavoidable and all efforts were made to recover the funds, this reflects a serious failure of financial oversight and internal control.
Equally concerning is the Deputy Minister’s trip to the Havana Book Fair, costing over R200,000, while more than 80% of Grade 4 learners in South Africa cannot read for meaning. In the middle of a literacy crisis, the GNU prioritises photo opportunities abroad over real reform at home.
Worse still, no cost breakdowns were provided for the Deputy Minister’s trip to the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles or her visit to the Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX) event in Algeria. These omissions raise the question of what else is being hidden. A department that fails to provide basic reporting on travel costs cannot be trusted with public money.
The reply from Minister McKenzie’s office also ignored the request for a full breakdown of domestic and international travel, reflecting a broader culture of selective transparency that has come to define this government.
To tackle this culture of unchecked spending head-on, ActionSA has introduced its first piece of legislation: the Enhanced Cut Cabinet Perks Bill. This bill seeks to slash ministerial perks and restore much-needed fiscal discipline.
As the constructive opposition in Parliament, ActionSA is committed to holding this GNU accountable. Our GNU Performance Tracker is an ongoing project to ensure transparency and to give the public real insight into what their government is doing with their money.
South Africans deserve leadership that puts people before perks and not a R200 million travel spree by the world’s largest cabinet.
ActionSA Exposes GNU Ministers’ R200 Million Travel Splurge
ActionSA can reveal that Ministers in the Government of National Unity (GNU) have racked up more than R200 million in travel expenses since assuming office less than a year ago, a figure that will balloon as we await updated replies to our questions.
This figure, compiled through ActionSA’s GNU Performance Tracker, follows the latest replies to our parliamentary questions submitted to every Minister, including the President, Deputy President and the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture. It paints a damning picture of executive indulgence at a time of deep economic crisis, when 5 000 South Africans lose their jobs every single working day.
Just this week, a reply revealed that Deputy President Paul Mashatile and his wife spent over R900,000 on just four nights’ accommodation in Japan. That’s enough to build a decent home for a family in need for each night they spent in luxury. This kind of wasteful expenditure, an extension of ANC excess now rebranded under the GNU, has become business as usual for the world’s most bloated executive.
Now, the latest addition to the GNU’s globe-trotting saga is a long-overdue reply from Minister Gayton McKenzie, whose department has spent R6.6 million on international travel. Not only is this spending exorbitant, but it is riddled with red flags, gaps, and inconsistencies.
Among the most shocking items is a R164 556 payment for a trip to Burkina Faso that never took place. The public paid for flights and accommodation for an event that was ultimately abandoned, a textbook case of wasteful expenditure, as defined by the Public Finance Management Act. Unless the Minister can demonstrate that this loss was unavoidable and all efforts were made to recover the funds, this reflects a serious failure of financial oversight and internal control.
Equally concerning is the Deputy Minister’s trip to the Havana Book Fair, costing over R200,000, while more than 80% of Grade 4 learners in South Africa cannot read for meaning. In the middle of a literacy crisis, the GNU prioritises photo opportunities abroad over real reform at home.
Worse still, no cost breakdowns were provided for the Deputy Minister’s trip to the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles or her visit to the Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX) event in Algeria. These omissions raise the question of what else is being hidden. A department that fails to provide basic reporting on travel costs cannot be trusted with public money.
The reply from Minister McKenzie’s office also ignored the request for a full breakdown of domestic and international travel, reflecting a broader culture of selective transparency that has come to define this government.
To tackle this culture of unchecked spending head-on, ActionSA has introduced its first piece of legislation: the Enhanced Cut Cabinet Perks Bill. This bill seeks to slash ministerial perks and restore much-needed fiscal discipline.
As the constructive opposition in Parliament, ActionSA is committed to holding this GNU accountable. Our GNU Performance Tracker is an ongoing project to ensure transparency and to give the public real insight into what their government is doing with their money.
South Africans deserve leadership that puts people before perks and not a R200 million travel spree by the world’s largest cabinet.