Motshekga’s 5 star luxury travel bill revealed
Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga’s travel bill over the past three years is littered with 5 Star luxury accommodation, courtesy of tax paying South Africans.
While the country continues to tackle massive funding shortfalls in the education sector, a reply to a parliamentary question posed by the Democratic Alliance showed that minister Motshekga’s hotel accommodation cost R594,999.54.
Deputy Minister Mohammed Surty spent an additional R313,360.20 on hotel stays in the past 3 financial years, bringing the total for the two heads to over R908,000.
The minister’s hotel trips included a stay at the 5-star Oyster Box in Umhlanga Rocks at R6,609.03 per night, and the 5-star Hilton in Durban, which cost R4,997 for one night.
The minister also took no less then 12 visits to the 5-star Fusion Boutique Hotel in Limpopo, with a single night costing up to R4,348.28.
For international travel, two nights in Luanda cost R34,880 to attend a women’s workshop at the 5-star Hotel de Convencoes de Talatona.
Angie Motshekga
As part of an official visit to London with the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco), she was booked into the 5-star Royal Horseguards which boasts “refurbished Victorian elegance” at R71,895.99 for five nights.
Seven nights at the 5-star Hyatt Paris Madeleine in November 2013 cost R63,693.98, while on an official trip with Dirco.
The DA noted that it cost taxpayers R44,175.36 when the minister attended the ANC conference in Mangaung.
According to a reply to the parliamentary question, Minister Motshekga used R44,175 of her ministerial budget to stay at the Tsogo Sun in Bloemfontein from the 14-20 December 2012.
“We know that Minister Motshekga was a delegate at the ANC’s conference because her name is featured on the conference programme,” said Gavin Davis, DA Shadow Minister of Basic Education.
“In her reply to the parliamentary question, Minister Motshekga attempts to hide that she was in Bloemfontein on party business, citing ‘official meetings’ as the reason for her visit to Bloemfontein. No mention is made of the ANC conference.
“This dishonesty is unacceptable, especially in a reply to parliamentary question. If only Minister Motshekga was as economical with public money as she is with the truth,” Davis said.
Reporting with News24
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