CABINET ministers and their deputies have spent more than R1 million on hired cars - and the total is rising
Yesterday Tourism Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk revealed in a parliamentary reply that he and his deputy, Thobile Xasa, had spent R310,888 on hired cars since March 2010.
'Kortbroek' hired a Mercedes-Benz E200 three times to attend meetings and conferences, and once when his car was in for repairs. He hired Hyundai buses twice and a Volkswagen Kombi once, for a roadshow. Xasa ran up most of the bill, hiring cars 32 times and spending R26,4201.
She also refused to give precise details of what the cars were hired for, saying only that almost R130,000 had been spent on hiring cars for trips to carry out her "constituency responsibilities".
And when her ministerial car in Pretoria went for repairs, Xasa spent R27,000 on a Mercedes-Benz E200 for five days.
"This constitutes wasteful and fruitless expenditure, and further confirms the DA's suspicions that excessive spending on car rentals is a cabinet-wide problem," said DA MP Ian Ollis, who asked the question.
- Only 5 out of 34 ministers have answered parliamentary questions about how much they spent on car hires.
- Sowetan reported last month that the Public Works Ministry had spent over R430,000, Mineral Resources more than R250,000, Trade and Industry R59,000 and Arts and Culture R118,000.
In terms of the ministerial handbook ministers may own official cars in Pretoria and Cape valued at 70 percent of their gross income.
R1m spent on hiring cars
CABINET ministers and their deputies have spent more than R1 million on hired cars - and the total is rising
Yesterday Tourism Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk revealed in a parliamentary reply that he and his deputy, Thobile Xasa, had spent R310,888 on hired cars since March 2010.
'Kortbroek' hired a Mercedes-Benz E200 three times to attend meetings and conferences, and once when his car was in for repairs. He hired Hyundai buses twice and a Volkswagen Kombi once, for a roadshow. Xasa ran up most of the bill, hiring cars 32 times and spending R26,4201.
She also refused to give precise details of what the cars were hired for, saying only that almost R130,000 had been spent on hiring cars for trips to carry out her "constituency responsibilities".
And when her ministerial car in Pretoria went for repairs, Xasa spent R27,000 on a Mercedes-Benz E200 for five days.
"This constitutes wasteful and fruitless expenditure, and further confirms the DA's suspicions that excessive spending on car rentals is a cabinet-wide problem," said DA MP Ian Ollis, who asked the question.
In terms of the ministerial handbook ministers may own official cars in Pretoria and Cape valued at 70 percent of their gross income.
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