NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
QUESTION 1461
Adv L H Max (DA) to ask the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans:
(a) On how many occasions since 1 March 2010 did her office hire a vehicle to transport (i) her and (ii) her Deputy Minister and (b) in each case, (i) what was the cost of hiring the vehicle, (ii) for what reason was the vehicle hired, (iii) for how many days, (iv) what (aa) make and (bb) model of vehicle was hired and (v) what total distance was travelled? (NW1628E).
RESPONSE
Ministers and Deputy Ministers are allocated official vehicles which they utilize all for their official duties. However, when they have to perform official duties outside their areas of residence, such as Durban, Port Elizabeth, Polokwane , Kimberley, the office has to hire vehicles at the same level as those allocated for official duties.
In remote areas the choice of vehicles is limited and available cars range from Light Delivery Vehicles (LDV/Bakkies) to BMW X5s to Toyota Prados and Landrovers. Under the circumstances Ministers and Deputy Ministers are hired available vehicles.
Often Ministers and Deputy Ministers are also hired vehicles when their cars are in for service or repairs over a long period.
(a) (i and ii). The Minister and the Deputy Minister were hired vehicles for a total of 24 times and 28 times respectively in each case.
(b) (i) The cost of hiring the vehicles for the Minister was R234 074.87 and for the Deputy Minister R207 183.55 and the costs varied from R737.09 for a few days to R99 831.37 for prolonged periods of vehicle service and repairs.
(ii) The vehicles were hired for performance of official duties.
(iii) The period ranged from a few days to approximately a month (in the case where the vehicle went in for repairs which took a long time).
(iv) (aa) The vehicles ranged from Mercedes C180s and Mercedes E200s and in some cases Toyota Prados and BMW X5s.
(iv) (bb) The distances travelled range from 47 per incident to 4162 (in a case where the vehicle had gone for a long time for repairs which took a long time).
Issued by Parliament, August 25 2011
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