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Johannesburg - The Department of Communications spent almost R600 000 on a nine-day trip to a luxury goods show and folk art festival in the US.
This is according to a reply by the Department of Communications to a parliamentary question from the Democratic Alliance’s Member of Parliament Gavin Davis.
Davis asked why Communications Minister Faith Muthambi attended the annual Atlanta Lifestyle Show Hub, which took place in July in the US state of Georgia.
In its reply, the department said Muthambi was invited by the deputy minister of small business development to attend the show and the Santa Fe Folk Art Market events.
The department also said that total costs for Muthambi and three staff for the trip hit just over R593 515.
“This seems an extraordinary waste of public money at a time when our cabinet ministers should be tightening their belts,” said Davis in a statement.
“I will be calling on the minister to justify this trip at the next meeting of the communications portfolio committee,” Davis added.
He further said that “both events have very little to do with the minister’s mandate”.
Details from the communication department’s reply further indicated that the South African delegation to the US trip included the minister, chief of staff, protector and assistant director in the office of the director general.
Costs for three support staff topped R417 261.63. Meanwhile, the department also spent R176 254.55 on the minister for the trip.
The biggest costs included R349 823.16 for the tickets, service fees and insurance of the three staff. The department also spent R116 607.72 on Muthambi’s tickets, service fees and insurance for the trip.
Davis has called on Muthambi to explain how the trip benefited the South African public.
Muthambi’s office has not yet responded to a request for comment.
