The Minister of Women, Children and People with Disabilities, Lulu Xingwana, spent R1.8 million on car purchases within three years, a reply  to a DA parliamentary question has revealed. Furthermore, her deputy, Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu has spent R1 million during the same period.

In 2009 the Minister spent R814 850.01 on a Range Rover and R985 599.00 on a Mercedes-Benz S350 in 2012. Deputy Minister Bogopane-Zulu spent R460 471.00 on a Chrysler 300C V6 in 2009 and R566 205.00 on another Chrysler 300C V6 in 2010.

Four luxury car purchases in such a short period of time is unjustifiable. The DA will submit parliamentary questions to determine the Department’s reasons for these splurges.  

Minister Xingwana clearly still refuses to travel ‘lala-class’ and is intent on continuing to bill the public for her penchant for luxuries. In the past she spent more than R2 million on luxury furniture for her own office and flew to New York at a cost of R6.8 million.

Considering issues like the high prevalence of sexual assault and abuse in South Africa, and the low operation rate of crucial facilities such as Thuthuzela Care Centres (TCC), the Minister’s skewed spending priorities are an absolute disgrace.
 
The DA has written to the Minister of Public Service and Administration, Lindiwe Sisulu, requesting her to enforce President Zuma’s promise of a revised Ministerial Handbook to curb the excessive spending of the executive. It is clear that this has become an urgent priority.
 
Indeed, it is high time that Ministers are held to account for using the public purse as their own piggy bank.