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Minister of Public Service and Administration Richard Baloyi has refused to answer a Democratic Alliance (DA) parliamentary question about subsistence and travel expenses claimed by himself and his deputy in 2010/11, on the grounds that the information may divert attention from the work they are doing.

A copy of this reply follows below.

One wonders how much the Minister and his Deputy must have spent on claims in the past year if they felt that revealing this information would cause such a public stir.

In response to the Minister’s refusal to release this information, I will today be writing to the Speaker of the National Assembly, Max Sisulu, to ask that he intervenes and compels the Minister to make the full details of his and his deputy’s expense claims public.

The Minister’s response to the DA’s question should set alarm bells ringing on three counts.

Firstly, such a dismissive reply demonstrates a complete disregard by the Minister for Parliament’s role in holding the executive to account. It is state money that was used to pay for the Minister and Deputy Minister’s claims. The South African people have a right to know what these funds were spent on, and how much was spent.

Second, it is not enough for the Minister to say that he and his deputy were “entitled” to make these claims, and that they did so “within policy confines.” There have been numerous examples of members of the executive justifying reckless spending on the grounds that it met government guidelines, such as the Ministerial Handbook. That these guidelines permit such spending doesn’t make the expenditure right, it means that these guidelines are wrong.

Third, as the Minister of Public Service and Administration, Minister Baloyi must set the tone for how the rest of the public service should act. Government’s repeated commitments to improving accountability in the public service mean little if the Minister himself is not willing to be held accountable.

If we are to build an efficient and professional public service, the Minister must lead by example and demonstrate his willingness to be held accountable by Parliament. The first step is by ensuring that the full details of his and his deputy’s subsistence and travel expenditure are made available to the public as soon as possible.

2417: Mr DC Ross (DA) to ask the Minister of Public Service and Administration :

What amount was claimed by him and paid to him and his Deputy Minister for Subsistence and Travel in each month in the 2010/2011 Financial Year
(NW 2812E)

Response

It is Government Policy that the Minister of Public Service and Administration as well as the Deputy Minister are entitled to claim subsistence and travel claims when they execute their tasks under given circumstances

For the period in question, they acted within Policy confines.

We may not disclose the amount paid to them at this stage, as this may divert the attention from accounting for their activities to the payments they received.

It should be noted, however, that the information required will be available when the Financial Report is finally provided for the period.