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In reply to a Democratic Alliance (DA) parliamentary question, Minister of Sport and Recreation Fikile Mbalula has revealed that his deputy, Gert Oosthuizen, spent R1 133 927 on 105 flights since April 2010.

It is hard to imagine on what grounds the Deputy Minister of Sport and Recreation could possibly justify spending more than R1 million on flights in just under two years, and taking almost double the amount of international flights as the Minister.

According to the reply, Minister Mbalula and his deputy have spent a combined total of over R2.6 million on 345 domestic and international flights since 1 April 2010. The Minister and Deputy Minster of International Relations and Cooperation, for whom travel is an essential part of their responsibilities, only took a combined total of 159 domestic and international flights during the same period of time.

The reply to our question stated that:

Minister Mbalula has taken 240 flights since 1 April 2010, including 224 domestic flights, at a cost of R791 786, and 16 international flights, at a cost of R747 410. The total cost for Minister Mbalula’s flights over the past two years amounts to R1 539 196.
Minister Mbalula’s deputy, Gert Oosthuizen, has taken 105 flights since 1 April 2010. These include 76 domestic flights at a cost of R327 634, and 29 international flights at a cost of R806 293. The total cost of the Deputy Minister’s flights over the past two years therefore amounts to R1 133 927.

I will today write to the Public Protector to request an investigation into the purpose and necessity of these flights, and the appropriateness of this expenditure by the Minister and his Deputy.

The Public Protector has already been asked to investigate another cabinet member’s large flight bill. During February 2010 and August last year Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Tina Joemat-Pettersson spent R1.6 million on chartered flights.

In addition to writing to the Public Protector, I will also be requesting that Minister Mbalula and his Deputy appear before Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Sport and Recreation to explain their flight bills.

Sport has the power to act as a powerful tool for nation building and for delivering opportunities to children who come from impoverished backgrounds. Minister Mbalula and Deputy Minister Oosthuizen must explain why their travel agents were more deserving recipients of the public money spent on their flights than communities in need of sporting facilities.