Hundreds of millions in accommodation and travelling expenses

By Ofentse Mokae
27 February 2010

It has been revealed that the International Relations and Co-operation department has a bill of more than R400 million on travelling and accommodation.

The department’s spokesman Saul Molobi confirmed to the media that his department spent R426-million on travelling, accommodation and catering from March 2008 to September 2009, but put this down to the nature of its work.

The employee of the former foreign affairs department said the money was spent solemnly in carrying out the mandate of the department.

He mentioned that in Shangui a cup of tea will go for a whooping R69 .

Molobi said that their department cannot be treated like the ordinary departments due to the nature of its work.
It emerged in a national financial publication that national government departments ran up bills of more than R3 billion luxury travel, restaurants and accommodation over 19 months, this is despite despite the Presidency’s call on cutting measures