R310 801 for fireworks, R473 370 for beverages just tip of wedding you paid for

WHAT are you prepared to pay for cranberries‚ kiwi and a single scoop of ice cream?

Thanks to the international auditing firm KPMG‚ and the South African Revenue Service‚ the Guptas were able to have all their wedding dessert and eat it – all without paying a cent.

That’s because you, the taxpayer, picked up the bill‚ not only for venue hire‚ waiters‚ cooks and candlestick holders‚ but also for their after-dinner sweeties and morning fruit platters.

Invoices from the Guptas’ R30-million Sun City wedding‚ which are contained in a tranche of leaked family e-mails‚ paint an astonishing picture about the family’s exorbitant sweet tooth. Invoices from the Guptas’ company Linkway Trading – which KPMG helped write off as a business expense – show that guests were presented a delicious sounding – and pricey – platter of dessert options.

Hazelnut milk Lindor truffles alone set taxpayers back R13 088. But the chocolates were not the most expensive things on the menu for the three-day wedding.

Linkway Trading billed the Guptas R69 992 for sachets of milk‚ while 600 single scoops of ice cream cost R21 812.

An extra order of milk‚ yoghurt and cream‚ reads the invoice‚ cost R7 258, while 45 36kg units of whole cranberries‚ bulk kiwi slices and unknown dessert “ingredients” cost R3 075, R2 759 and R41 698 respectively. Golden berries set taxpayers back a further R7 125.

Beverages seem to have racked up the most costs for South Africans, coming in at a staggering R473 370, followed by other general groceries‚ some bought at Makro‚ which cost about R190 000.

It seems that the main dishes the Guptas presented to their guests were vegetables, which cost R169 652.

When it came to fun in the pool‚ four hours of pool noodle and water ball hiring costs totalled R6 555.

The ultimate spoil for the bride and groom and their wedding guests‚ however‚ appears to have been the fireworks display, coming in at a cool R310 801. – TimesLIVE