SA Outraged Over Ntshavheni & Ndabeni Abrahams’ Multimillion Rand Accommodation Bills Racked Up in 3 Years

• The current and previous Ministers of Communications and Digital Technologies have racked up exuberant bills for accommodation over three years
• Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams and Khumbudzo Ntshavheni spent over R5 million on hotel bills and the department spent over R10 million
• The costs were disclosed by the department’s acting director-general, Nonkqubela Jordan-Dyani, through a parliamentary written reply

JOHANNESBURG - Ministers have caused an outrage when it was established that they spent millions of rands from taxpayer’s money for accommodation within three years. Former Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams, and current Minister Khumbudzo Ntshavheni opted to take trips and visit hotels when some meetings could have been conducted virtually during the lockdown period.

Members of the department spent almost R10 million on accommodation. The topic came up when the Democratic Alliance’s Michael Bagraim questioned the amount spent on catering, entertainment and accommodation.

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It was disclosed by the department’s acting director-general Nonkqubela Jordan-Dyani through a parliamentary written reply that the total spent since 2019 was over R15 million. TimesLIVE reported that of the amount, over R3 million was spent by Ndabeni-Abrahams and Ntshavheni on accommodation, and more than R1 million was for deputy ministers.

Jordan-Dyani also added that the ministers spent R158 000 on food while the deputy minister spent R91 000 and department officials R491 000.

The department could have built 110 RDP houses, which are priced at R90 000, or paid first-year fees for 153 university students with the same amount, according to IOL.

Social media irate

South Africans are angered over the exuberant accommodation bill racked up by the politicians:

@HelloCalvin8 said:

“They are saying at the expense of taxpayers’ money. Stella even procured the new accent; they will never account because they are connected with Ramaphosa.”

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@NkosiJeromeZung wrote:

“I still don't get a lot of travelling with public monies during covid; especially in a country where performance in all aspects is poor.”

@godfrey_nthako posted:

“They are hired to waste money. If it was NOT so, something was going to be done to recover that money. The problem is NOT those people, it's you who voted ANC seeing they have over 25 years wasting the resources and money.”

@sbuda1noks commented:

“This is when unemployed youth are said to survive with 350 sies.”

@ephymol14 added:

“These slay queens tsa ANC.”

Minister Nathi Mthethwa defends R22 million South Africa Flag Project, says SA needs a 100m flag pole

In a related matter, Briefly News also reported, Nathi Mthethwa, the Minister of Arts, Sports and Recreation is standing by his department's decision to foot the bill for a South African flag project that will set back taxpayers R22 million.

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Mthethwa stated during his budget presentation that the flag was a key component of the department's duty in building a cohesive country.

The R22 million flag monument has drawn widespread criticism, with South Africans in general and political organisations such as the Economic Freedom Fighters saying it is in poor taste, considering the country's poverty, which has been exacerbated by the Covid-19 outbreak.

Source: Briefly News