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Research conducted by the Democratic Alliance (DA) has shown that the expenditure on foreign travel by many national departments and ministries increased by 100 percent over the last financial year, with some increasing their expenditure by significantly more than that. Ironically, this expenditure coincided with the worst of the recession.

This information completely contradicts Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan's warning that the state needs to be more disciplined in the way its manages its money and gives further evidence of the extravagant spending of this administration. The national departments with the largest increases in spending on foreign travel over the past year were the Presidency (71.81%), Arts and Culture (111.5%), the Public Service Commission (114.08%), Human Settlements (129.08%) and Rural Development and Land Reform (179.6%).

The top-spending national departments over the past year were International Affairs and Cooperation (R 279 million), Defence and Military Veterans (R 228 million), Trade and Industry (R 60 million), Police (R 57 million) and Arts and Culture (R 40 million). Of these, only the Police ministry recorded a fall in expenditure, and even that was marginal:

International Relations and Cooperation: R239-million (2007/08), up 16.74 % to R279-million (2008/09)
Defence and Military Veterans: R164-million (2007/08), up 39.02 % to R228-million (2008/09)
Trade and Industry: R46-million (2007/08), up 30.43 % to R60-million (2008/09)
Police: R61-million (2007/08), down 6.56 % to R57-million (2008/09)
Arts and Culture: R19-million (2007/08), up 110.53 % to R40-million (2008/09).

Figures are based on those appearing in annual reports and parliamentary replies.

The DA recognises that for some departments (such as International Relations and Cooperation) international travel is integral to their work. However, many of the largest increases were in departments where this is not the case.

These increases in expenditure coincided with the worst point in South Africa's recent economic recession - further clear evidence that ANC ministers are more interested in supporting their own lavish lifestyles than dealing with the economic challenges facing ordinary South Africans.

The DA will be tabling a series of parliamentary questions to gain further information about the significant increases in ministers' travel expenses.