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To date national government departments have spent just over R2.5 million on parties to celebrate the delivery of their respective budget votes in Parliament, earlier this year. A full breakdown of the amount can be found below this statement. The information was generated in response to a generic DA parliamentary question asked to every national department. Five departments have yet to reply. This expenditure is the latest example in a long litany of such indulgences where ministerial parties, cars and houses - very few of which are necessary or prudent - have come to define the life of the ANC executive in the public eye. In many instances the amount spent is extravagant and the relevant function little more than an excuse to spend public money on personal indulgence. Certainly not one of the functions could be labeled a necessity - something attested to by the fact that six departments did not hold budget vote functions this year. The key findings are the following:
• A total of R2 575 279 has been spent to date;
• The stand out biggest spenders were the Departments of Transport (R461 227) and Energy (R412 077);
• The two biggest spenders in terms of the cost per head, were Transport (R2 306 per head) and International Affairs (R1 914);
• Nine departments spent over R100 000; six over R150 000; four over R200 000 and two over R400 000;
• The seven Departments which did not hold a function this year were: Rural Development; Economic Planning; Communications; Finance; Tourism; Water and Environmental Affairs and Women, Youth, Children, and People with Disabilities. (Rural Development's party was sponsored);
The overview of the replies received also tells us something about which departments are most and which are least efficient when it comes to answering parliamentary questions. The five departments yet to reply have now had this question for 116 days, which is an inexcusable amount of time to answer a simple question about the details of a budget item. The general trend - for the most part those departments who spent least on their parties answered earliest - suggests that those departments with outstanding answers have something to hide. Time will tell. The DA will include all of these functions in its Wasteful Expenditure Monitor, which currently stands at approximately R320 million. Media Enquiries: Lindiwe Mazibuko MP: 072 805 2220 Melany Kühn: 078 887 7004 Summary of generic DA question on budget vote functions submitted on 7 July 2009
No. Department Reply Days to Reply Amount No. of Guests Amount per Head

1. Transport (541) 27.10.09 112 days R461 227.81 200 R2 306.14
2. Energy (517) 17.08.09 41 days R412 077.72 250 R1 648.31
3. Basic/Higher Education (506) 15.10.09 100 days R267 044.57 250 R1 068.18
4. Arts and Culture (519) 03.09.09 58 days R223 281.71 - -
5. Social Development (536) 24.08.09 48 days R180 026.71 900 R200.03
6. International Relations and Cooperation (526) 31.07.09 24 days R160 440.75 150 R1 069.61
7. Human Settlements (525) 19.08.09 43 days R114 184.31 200 R570.92
8. Public Service & Administration (532) 21.07.09 14 days R101 683.11 300 R338.94
9. Correctional Services (512) 12.08.09 36 days R101 594.00 200 R507.97
10. Public Enterprises (531) 26.08.09 50 days R84 698.59 44 R1 914.55
11. Public Works (533) 26.08.09 50 days R84 240.00 120 R702.00
12. Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (510) 14.10.09 99 days R67 768.70 125 R542.15
13. Health (522) 24.07.09 17 days R65 638.60 240 R273.49
14. Police (530) 04.08.09 28 days R56 695.50 150 R377.97
15. Home Affairs (524) 30.07.09 23 days R52 365.30 100 R523.65
16. Trade and Industry/Economic Planning (540) 23.07.09 16 days R43 100.00 120 R359.17
17. State Security (538) 24.07.09 17 days R41 558.14 150 R277.05
18. Science and Technology (535) 12.10.09 97 days R33 330.00 120 R277.75
19. Justice and Constitutional Development (527) 21.07.09 14 days R24 323.93 100 R243.39
20. Rural Development (534) 28.08.09 52 days Sponsored 120 -
21. Economic Planning (516) 21.07.09 14 days None spent - -
22. Communications (508) 27.08.09 20 days None spent - -
23. Finance (521) 24.07.09 17 days None spent - -
24. Tourism (539) 04.08.09 28 days None spent - -
25. Water and Environmental Affairs (542) 26.08.09 50 days None spent - -
26. Women, Youth, Children, and People with Disabilities (543) 24.08.09 48 days None spent - -
27. Defence and Military Veterans (514) - 116 days* Not answered
28. Labour (528) - 116 days* No reply yet
29. Mining - 116 days* No reply yet
30. Agriculture, Forestry & Fisheries (520) - 116 days* No reply yet
31. Sport and Recreation (537) - 116 days* No reply yet
TOTAL R2 575 279