The Department of Communications has hit back at criticism over payments it made to cover a US trip by Minister Faith Muthambi.<\/p>\n
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, according to the Department of Communication\u2019s parliamentary response to a question from the Democratic Alliance\u2019s Member of Parliament Gavin Davis.<\/p>\n
Minister Muthambi attended the Atlanta Lifestyle Hub Show and the Santa Fe Folk Art Market events in July \u201cto represent the country\u201d, according to the parliamentary reply.<\/p>\n
The parliamentary reply document also detailed how costs for Muthambi and three other staff amounted to just over R593,515.<\/p>\n
In the parliamentary response, the Department detailed, for example, how it spent R116,607.72 on Muthambi\u2019s tickets, service fees and insurance for the trip.<\/p>\n
The DA\u2019s Gavin Davis posed questions about Muthambi\u2019s trip in a press statement on Thursday.<\/p>\n
But the Department has hit back as it said it did \u201cnot spend R600 000 as claimed by Mr Gavin Davis\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn response to Mr Davis\u2019s Parliamentary Question, the Minister indicated the estimated costs, not the actual expenditure incurred for her and officials trip to Atlanta,\u201d said the Department.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe invoices received by the Department for travel-related costs including connecting flights within the USA amounted to R305,327 including the delegation,\u201d said the Department.<\/p>\n
Fin24 asked the Department to provide proof of the R305,327 amount but a spokesperson has yet to send this information.<\/p>\n
DA\u2019s Davis responds<\/strong><\/p>\n The DA\u2019s Gavin Davis told Fin24 that he can \u201conly go on what the minister” says.<\/p>\n \u201cThat parliamentary reply is straight from the horse\u2019s mouth. It is the Minister\u2019s reply to my question,\u201d said Davis.<\/p>\n \u201cI personally hope that the Minister\u2019s office is not trying to manipulate the figures now that the Minister\u2019s visit is coming under scrutiny,\u201d Davis added.<\/p>\n Reasons for the trip<\/strong><\/p>\n In addition, the Department of Communications also defended its reasons for sending Muthambi on the trip.<\/p>\n It said that the Department of Small Business Development (DSBD) extended an invitation to the DoC to take part in a DSBD \u201ccreative industry led initiative to take locally manufactured craft products to the international markets\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cThe DoC has a mandate to support the development of the creative industries, particularly in relation to content development in the country. It is therefore, incorrect for Mr Davis to insinuate that the trip has little to do with the work of the department,\u201d said the statement.<\/p>\n The Department of Communications also said that rural South Africans had a chance to exhibit their creative arts in Atlanta.<\/p>\n \u201cThe artists will be able to export their locally produced products to the international markets without any assistance of a middlemen. Furthermore; this trip provided an opportunity to brand the country abroad,\u201d said the Department.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, the Minister of Communications Faith Muthambi said she also had meetings with stakeholders, including young ambassadors.<\/p>\n \u201cWe need all strategies for broadcasting content, we will soon have multiple channels, we need to embrace ourselves for that moment, and the meeting with the creative industry in Atlanta paved way for collaboration,\u201d said Muthambi.<\/p>\n Trips need justification<\/strong><\/p>\n Meanwhile, the DA\u2019s Gavin Davis said there\u2019s nothing wrong with government officials going on trips but that they need to be \u201cjustified and add value to taxpayers\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019ve got to actually rationalise it and show how the public are getting value for money, so I\u2019m going to be putting those questions to her in the committee,\u201d Davis said.<\/p>\n He also responded to the Department\u2019s reasons, listed in its statement, for the trip.<\/p>\n \u201cMy response to that is that it is pure spin; it is quite clear that the trip had very little to do with the Minister\u2019s mandate and that she\u2019s trying to justify it.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you want to, you can make anything about communications – if you really want to.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s nothing wrong with the Atlanta Lifestyle Hub and there\u2019s nothing wrong with Sante Fe Folk Art Festival. The question is: Does the Minister need to go and spend nine days and R600 000 of the public\u2019s money being there?\u201d<\/p>\n News24<\/a><\/p>\n Communications minister blows R600,000 on 9 day trip to US luxury goods show<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n It\u2019s okay for ministers to have business interests: Muthambi<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Muthambi\u2019s legal advisor struck off the roll for misconduct<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\nMore on South Africa<\/h3>\n