Dlamini’s travel costs up 12% to R121m while social grants are kept shockingly low
5 October 2016
The Department of Social Development’s 2015/16 Annual Report has revealed that travel and subsistence expenses for the year amounted to R121.5 million, against a budget of R98.6 million and R13 million (or 12%) more than the previous financial year.
This excessiveness has occurred under the watch of Minister of Social Development, Bathabile Dlamini, in the same financial year in which she has claimed that social grants on the poverty line of R753 are “enough” and has on numerous occasions booked herself into the luxurious Oyster Box hotel in Umhlanga.
At a time when millions of South Africans are facing starvation, and the ANC is stubbornly refusing to make above-inflation increases to social grants – as requested by the DA – outrageous travel and subsistence expenditure is a slap in the face of so many poor South Africans struggling to make a living.
Despite written questions asking for a breakdown of the travel costs, hotel costs, VIP cars and size of delegations by the Minister and the Deputy Minister in the previous financial year, the Minister only accounted for R2.8 million of the R12 million spent on overseas trips.