True cost of SONA: “Parliament” spokesperson must retract misleading statement

27 February 2017

Newly appointed spokesperson for Parliament, Moloto Mothapo, must immediately retract the statement he issued on 26 February in which he seeks to deliberately mislead the public over the R11 million and counting spent on the 2017 State of the Nation (SONA) address.

On Sunday I revealed how the expenditure on SONA, by Parliament and a host of government departments, now amounted to at least R11 million. This included R4.085 million spent by the Department of Police, R2.7 million spent by the Department of Public Works, and R204 153 spent by the Department of Defence. This expenditure, incurred in addition to the R4 million spent by Parliament itself,  was detailed by the Executive in letters and replies to written questions.

At no time was it claimed that Parliament, as an institution, had spent R11 million. Mothapo’s hapless attempt to deflect attention from the real cost of SONA is both disingenuous and a flagrant abuse of his role as spokesperson for Parliament.

This attack on the DA clearly shows Mothapo’s unsuitability to act as spokesperson for the legislature and, following his totally inappropriate announcement of Brian Molefe’s deployment to Parliament on 17 February, shows that he is intent on continuing in his role as an ANC spin doctor.

Following Mothapo’s appointment, I wrote to the Secretary to Parliament, Gengezi Mgidlana, requesting information on his appointment, without reply. The DA will continue to probe the legitimacy of the process which saw the long-serving spokesperson for the ANC Caucus become the spokesperson for Parliament.

I previously warned that Mothapo’s appointment meant “that the ANC’s dirty tricks will be extended to Parliament at the public expense”. That process has now begun in earnest.

Issued by John Steenhuisen, Chief Whip of the Democratic Alliance, 27 February 2017