POLITICS

PRASA spent R10,8m on World Cup tickets - DA

Ian Davidson says ACSA spent R4,7m, ATNS R1,4m and SAMSA R2,2m

World Cup tickets: Another day another R20 million spent

A reply to a Democratic Alliance (DA) parliamentary question has revealed that entities reporting to the Department of Transport spent R20-million on purchasing tickets for the World Cup. A significant portion of this amount was spent by the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA), which spent R10.8-million on 4 570 tickets. This brings the total amount spent on World Cup tickets by government departments and state entities to R130-million.

The reply revealed the following amounts spent by entities reporting to the Department of Transport on World Cup tickets:

  • Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) - R10.8-million
  • Airports Company of South Africa (ACSA) - R4.7-million
  • Air Traffic and Navigation Services (ATNS) - R1.4-million
  • South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) - R2.2-million

It is particularly an issue of concern that PRASA would see fit to spend such an en exorbitant amount on entertainment purposes when, by its own admission, it recently revealed that it needs R100-billion in the next 10 to 12 years to prevent South Africa's passenger rail services from collapsing. This is the sort of profligate spending that makes no sense at all, given the serious demands facing our country, and also given that many South Africans have either been unable to afford World Cup tickets, or have had their requests for tickets turned down.

It is quite clear that departments and state entities should not be purchasing World Cup tickets, and that if they do, they are guilty of wasteful and fruitless expenditure, and risk breaching legislation governing the management of Public Funds. Minister Manuel has recently commented that a distinction should be made between government departments and municipalities and certain public enterprises which have to compete for business in the private sector and thus ostensibly have cause to entertain clients. Irrespective of the merits of such an argument, the basic premise of which still disregards a careful spending of public funds in a straitened economic climate by entities receiving public money, the instances revealed by the Department of Transport clearly do not apply.

The four entities listed here do not have to compete in the open marketplace in the context mentioned by the Minister and enjoy closed markets and, as such, have clearly disregarded any responsible management of public money , a sentiment clearly shared across the government and state sectors.

Statement issued by Ian Davidson, MP, Democratic Alliance Chief Whip, July 7 2010

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