One minister hiding how much taxpayer money she spent on travelling

Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni is allegedly hiding her travel expenses from taxpayers, raising questions about accountability and potentially wasting public funds.

Over the last few weeks, many ministers have been asked to disclose the amount they spent on international travel expenses and provide justification for these trips.

Deputy President Paul Mashatile’s response revealed that he spent R346,000 per night on accommodation in London for himself and his spouse, Humile Mashatile.

This formed part of a working visit to Ireland and the United Kingdom from 26 September to 4 October 2024, which cost taxpayers R5.475 million.

He further revealed that he spent R956,057 for the four-night stay on a working visit to Japan, which equates to R239,000 per night.

The whole Japan trip for Mashatile’s delegation, excluding the other ministers, cost R2.3 million. It included flights, accommodation, ground transport, and restaurant services.

Last month, ActionSA MP Alan Beesley asked the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture how much he spent on official travel since joining South Africa’s cabinet.

McKenzie said that since his appointment on 3 July 2024 by President Cyril Ramaphosa, he has taken 11 international round trips.

The total cost of flights and accommodation incurred through the travel agent for these trips was R2.5 million.

Deputy Minister Peace Mabe, over the same period, has been on trips with a total available cost of R1.2 million.

“It must be noted that the information regarding the Deputy Minister’s travel provided by the travel agent is currently incomplete,” McKenzie said.

“My office has taken up with this service provider, despite them having several months to provide us with the accurate data.”

He stated that he was aware that the Deputy Minister had travelled to Los Angeles in February 2025 to attend the Grammy Awards. No details were provided about the cost of this trip.

“We also lack relevant data at the moment regarding her trip to Algeria to attend the Creative Africa Nexus,” he said.

Backlash against excessive spending and Ntshavheni hiding her travel details

There has been a significant backlash about how much the Deputy President spent on travel and McKenzie’s claims that flying business class was essential for ministers.

This revealed that it is a sensitive topic that many ministers would prefer to avoid, especially if they have incurred significant expenses on international travel.

One minister who appears to be avoiding public scrutiny of her international travel is Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni.

Parliamentary member Lerato Ngobeni, who also serves as ActionSA’s Parliamentary Chief Whip, slated Ntshavheni for not making her travel details public.

Ngobeni said Ntshavheni evaded public accountability by submitting her travel expenses to the Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence.

The Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence is a secretive committee closed to the public and the broader Parliament.

“This is nothing more than a deliberate attempt to further shield her spending from scrutiny,” Ngobeni said.

ActionSA has written to the Speaker of Parliament, Thoko Didiza, to demand urgent intervention and defend the integrity of Parliament’s oversight role.

“This conduct cannot be allowed to stand, and the reply must be made public immediately,” Ngobeni said.

She highlighted that every minister in the Government of National Unity (GNU) was asked the same question on travel expenses.

“All others who responded did so transparently. Only the Minister in the Presidency has opted to hide her information.”

Ngobeni argued that Ntshavheni is hiding her details because ActionSA recently exposed over R200 million in excessive GNU spending.

This included Mashatile’s R950,000 bill for four nights of accommodation in Japan and the R160,000 spent by McKenzie on a trip to Burkina Faso that never took place.

“The Minister in the Presidency’s actions reveal a flagrant disdain for accountability and a total disregard for the public’s right to know how their money is spent,” she said.

“This is why ActionSA has introduced our maiden piece of legislation, Alan Beesley’s Enhanced Cabinet Perks Cut Bill, to restore sanity to rampant executive excess.”