Democratic Alliance Defends Macpherson’s R350k Brazil Trip

• Public Works Minister Dean Macpherson took a R350,000 working trip to Brazil with his partner, sparking criticism from opposition parties
• The DA says the trip followed its own travel policies and ministerial rules that allow partners to join official visits
• Critics have called the move hypocritical, but the party maintains the matter is being handled internally

SOUTH AFRICA — The Democratic Alliance (DA) is defending Public Works Minister Dean Macpherson after reports surfaced that he spent R350,000 of taxpayers’ money on a working trip to Brazil with his partner.

The trip has sparked political debate, with some parties calling on Macpherson to repay the costs, while the DA maintains it was in line with both party and ministerial guidelines.

What does the DA say?

According to Eyewitness News, DA federal council chairperson Helen Zille said that the matter is being discussed within the party.

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The party says the trip followed the DA’s own travel policies.

“Dean Macpherson applied under the DA’s policy to travel,” she said

“I do not know exactly what the ministerial handbook says. The ministerial handbook governs all of these trips, and the DA also has a travel policy, and Dean Macpherson applied under the DA's policy to travel,” she added.

Criticism from other political parties

Critics have accused the minister of hypocrisy. Before joining the government, the DA often criticised ministers for bringing partners on official trips. However, ministerial rules do allow Cabinet members to take spouses or partners on working visits. They also heavily criticised ministers and other ministers for spending on travel when South Africa had so many needs.

The EFF highlighted the DA's long-standing opposition to government wastage, yet it appears to allow such extravagant spending by one of its ministers.

“At a time when schools are falling apart, clinics are crumbling, and the department itself is failing to maintain its head office to acceptable safety standards, the Minister saw it fit to prioritise international travel that includes his partner,” said the Economic Freedom Fighters in a statement.

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ActionSA called on the minister to repay the R839,000 in taxpayer money, which the party says was purely wasteful and served no benefit to the taxpayer.

Public Protector cleared Macpherson of wrongdoing

In a related article, the Public Protector officially cleared Dean Macpherson of all allegations arising from a complaint by the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF). The EFF laid a complaint against the Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, alleging that he breached the Executive Ethics Code by improperly intervening in the affairs of the Independent Development Trust (IDT). The party was unhappy that MacPherson fast-tracked outstanding payments owed by IDT, saying that he minister, acted outside of due process and also acted with malicious intent towards IDT’s senior staff.

Mapherson welcomes IDT Chairperson's resignation

Furthermore, in other news, McPhearson welcomed the decision of the Independent Development Trust's Chairperson, Tebogo Malaka's resignation. Her resignation came as she was expected to appear before a disciplinary committee after she was caught on camera allegedly bribing a journalist. Macpherson, however, pointed out that her resignation did not protect her from the criminal charges he laid against her following her suspension in 2025.

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Previously, Briefly News reported that ActionSA's KwaZulu-Natal chairperson Zwakele Mncwango slammed Dean Macpherson for alleged racism. Tensions between the party and the Democratic Alliance reached a head at the Durban Magistrates' Court over a sewage problem. Thereafter, Mncwango alleged that Macpherson called black people a derogatory name.

Source: Briefly News