The DA has accused the government of wasteful spending after it revealed that chief of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF)\u201a General Solly Shoke, spent R500,000 on a six-day trip to Cuba earlier this month.<\/p>\n
The DA said it would submit parliamentary questions to Department of Defence and Military Veterans, Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula regarding the costs and purpose of the trip undertaken by Shoke, along with his wife and three other military officials to Paris and subsequently Cuba.<\/p>\n
The opposition party said it has previously been refused answers under the guise that such information cannot be divulged ‘in the interests of national security’<\/em>.<\/p>\n “This has simply become the favoured way by Minister Nqakula to cover up details of government corruption,” said Kobus Marais, DA Shadow Minister of Defence and Military Veterans.<\/p>\n The six-day trip to Cuba earlier this month had a R500,000 price tag, the political party claimed.<\/p>\n This included:<\/p>\n “Key Defence areas are being neglected to allow senior officials to live a life of excess. Essential equipment is falling apart, and we are struggling to manage peace-keeping commitments. For instance the protection of the ocean economy \u2013 which is supposed to be a government priority \u2013 is woefully unprotected,” said Marais.<\/p>\n “Surely such excessive luxury is not necessary especially when Treasury has tried to implement austerity measures.”<\/p>\n Minister who said South Africans can survive on R753, accused of R11,000 luxury hotel room splurge<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n 6 awesome trips we wish we could take, but local government went instead<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Minister won\u2019t comment on R11,000 hotel splurge<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n
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