Highflying sport MPS’ millions on flights

SPORTS MINISTER Fikile Mbalula and his deputy Gert Oosthuizen have outflown their international relations counterparts, racking up a R2.6 million bill on 345 domestic and international flights since 2010.

That’s 186 more flights than the Minister and Deputy Minster of International Relations and Co-operation, for whom travel is an essential part of their responsibilities.

DIRCO Minister Maite Nkoana-mashabane and her two deputies Marius Fransman and Ebrahim Ebrahim took a combined 159 domestic and international flights during the same period, says DA MP Winston Rabotapi. In a Parliamentary reply to questions by Rabotapi, Mbalula disclosed that since April 1, 2010 his deputy Oosthuizen had spent R1.1m on 105 flights including 29 international flights at a cost of R806 293.

Oosthuizen spent more time travelling overseas than Mbalula, who spent R747 410 on 16 international flights.

“It is hard to imagine on what grounds the Deputy Minister of Sport and Recreation could possibly justify spending more than R1m on flights in just under two years and taking almost double the amount of international flights as the Minister, said Rabotapi, who intends approaching the Public Protector to investigate “the purpose and necessity of these flights and the appropriateness of this expenditure”.

Public protector Thuli Madonsela is already probing Mbalula and Oosthuizen’s cabinet colleague, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Tina Joemat-pettersson, who had spent R1.6m on chartered flights since 2010.

He has asked the chairperson of the National Assembly committee on Sport to call Mbalula and Oosthuizen to appear before the committee to explain the travel expenses.

Rabopati said Mbalula and his deputy needed to explain why their travel agents were more deserving recipients of the public money spent on their flights than communities in need of sporting facilities.

“Sport has the power to act as a powerful tool for nation building and for delivering opportunities to children who come from impoverished backgrounds,” he said.

Mbalula’s spokesman Paena Galane yesterday said the ministry was a “global partner in relation to sport bodies in and outside the country” and participated in international sporting events.

The minister and his deputy conducted state visits to Burundi and New Zealand during the same period.

“Sport by its nature and character is an international event. South Africans participate in international events and we have a duty to give moral support to our athletes when they fly the South African flag,” said Galena.

He said the flights were justified because the ministry served in various international committees like the World Anti-doping Agency and Unesco Fund for the Elimination of Doping in Sport, and other committees as executive mmbers.

“South Africa continues to play a critical role in the international arena. We are proud of this gesture given to us,” he said.