Haniff Hoosen, the ID spokesperson for police, has called on the Public Protector, Thulisile Madonsela to investigate whether Minister Nathi Mthethwa has contravened the Code of Ethics for Ministers and Deputy-Ministers.

‘It has been alleged that the Minister has spent in excess of R700 000 on accommodations for himself and unknown guests and/or staff at two five star luxury hotels in Cape Town and Durban,' Mr Hoosen writes in a letter to the Advocate.

When it came to light on Sunday that Mthethwa had wasted over half a million rand on the Hilton Hotel in his hometown of Durban earlier this year, Hoosen accused the Minister of being ‘without conscience.'

The Hilton revelation came just 10 days after it emerged that Mthethwa had spent almost R250 000 on himself and 8 police officials at the Table Bay Hotel in Cape Town earlier this year.

Hoosen believes the solution is two-fold.

‘Firstly, the Public Protector must investigate whether Mthethwa has contravened any of the provisions of the Code of Ethics for Ministers and Deputy-Ministers.

‘Secondly, we must change the way in which the Ministerial Handbook is approved,' says Hoosen.

‘The Cabinet's powers to approve the handbook must be taken away. Perks, privileges and allowances for Ministers should be determined by a similar process to the Moseneke Commission.'

The commission, headed by Deputy Chief Justice Dikgang Moseneke, was tasked with examining remuneration for public office bearers.

‘It is precisely because Ministers have determined their own benefits that we have gotten into this mess in the first place,' Hoosen says.

‘This is why they are buying huge, expensive cars and living it up in the top hotels - and all this while more than half of our people are living on scraps.'