ActionSA can reveal, in a reply to our parliamentary question, that the Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC), Parks Tau, and his deputy have spent an astonishing R9.5 million on travel expenses in the short few months following their appointment in July 2024.
This exorbitant spending comes at a time when millions of South Africans are grappling with economic hardship and the fiscus is under intense pressure, all while economic growth remains stagnant.
While the minister and his deputy’s jet around the world, over 1,000 businesses closed their doors in South Africa in 2024, highlighting yet another failure of this government to stimulate economic growth and create jobs.
Most troubling of all, despite explicit questions, the Minister failed to provide critical details regarding the purpose of each trip and the staff accompanying him. This lack of response is particularly concerning given Minister Tau’s reputation for travelling abroad with excessively large delegations.
Such an opaque and dismissive approach raises more questions than answers and is a clear red flag that ActionSA intends to pursue. It undermines the principles of transparency and insults Parliament’s role as a vital oversight mechanism. This government’s persistent lack of accountability is once again on display, as the Minister’s disregard for parliamentary oversight demonstrates a troubling disregard for transparency.
Evidently, as demonstrated by the mounting bill for ministerial travel highlighted on ActionSA’s GNU Performance Tracker, DTIC serves as yet another example of the ‘GNU’ operating as business as usual.
Reflecting a complete lack of meaningful policy reform, from macroeconomic, job-creating strategies to addressing wasteful expenditure, such as excessive travel, ActionSA believes this is a damning indictment of the government’s failure to prioritise the economic recovery South Africa so urgently needs.
ActionSA reiterates its demands for:
- Stricter regulations on government travel expenses, including mandatory disclosure of all travel companions and detailed purposes for each trip.
- Comprehensive audits of ministerial travel to ensure public funds are not wasted.
- A revision of the ministerial handbook, a streamlined cabinet of no more than 20 ministers, and the abolition of deputy ministers to curb excessive spending.
South Africans deserve leadership that prioritises accountability and responsible governance. ActionSA will continue to expose wasteful expenditure and demand answers for the misuse of public funds.
DTIC Minister Conceals Travel Companions in Parliamentary Reply
ActionSA can reveal, in a reply to our parliamentary question, that the Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC), Parks Tau, and his deputy have spent an astonishing R9.5 million on travel expenses in the short few months following their appointment in July 2024.
This exorbitant spending comes at a time when millions of South Africans are grappling with economic hardship and the fiscus is under intense pressure, all while economic growth remains stagnant.
While the minister and his deputy’s jet around the world, over 1,000 businesses closed their doors in South Africa in 2024, highlighting yet another failure of this government to stimulate economic growth and create jobs.
Most troubling of all, despite explicit questions, the Minister failed to provide critical details regarding the purpose of each trip and the staff accompanying him. This lack of response is particularly concerning given Minister Tau’s reputation for travelling abroad with excessively large delegations.
Such an opaque and dismissive approach raises more questions than answers and is a clear red flag that ActionSA intends to pursue. It undermines the principles of transparency and insults Parliament’s role as a vital oversight mechanism. This government’s persistent lack of accountability is once again on display, as the Minister’s disregard for parliamentary oversight demonstrates a troubling disregard for transparency.
Evidently, as demonstrated by the mounting bill for ministerial travel highlighted on ActionSA’s GNU Performance Tracker, DTIC serves as yet another example of the ‘GNU’ operating as business as usual.
Reflecting a complete lack of meaningful policy reform, from macroeconomic, job-creating strategies to addressing wasteful expenditure, such as excessive travel, ActionSA believes this is a damning indictment of the government’s failure to prioritise the economic recovery South Africa so urgently needs.
ActionSA reiterates its demands for:
South Africans deserve leadership that prioritises accountability and responsible governance. ActionSA will continue to expose wasteful expenditure and demand answers for the misuse of public funds.