Celani Sikhakhane
While the country was on lockdown and many people including politicians worked from home, two departments still managed to spend R15 million on hotel bills.
Sowetan reports that officials at the departments of communications and digital Ttechnologies spent R10 million in two years while their ministers Stella Ndabeni Abraham and Khumbudzo Ntshavheni and their deputies blew R5 million in three years.
This was despite work being done remotely owing to the Covid-19 pandemic and limits on travel and in-person meetings.
The revelation came after the DA member of parliament Michael Bagrain sent questions to the Department of Communications.
Acting Director General Nonkqubela Jordan-Dyani revealed in her written response that the amount doesn’t include entertainment and was only for food and accommodation.
She clarified that R10 million was spent on accommodation and food for officials of the two departments in a period of two years.
The spending spree happened after Ntshavheni joined the department with her deputy Philly Mapulane after a cabinet reshuffle that saw Abraham and her deputy Pinky Kekana being removed.
They had already spent millions of taxpayers money on food and accommodations in hotels.
Bagrain said he doesn’t believe that such an amount was only spent on catering and accommodations as it seems to be huge.
