SA splashes out R16m on rentals in Russia
Housing was for foreign economic representatives
The department of trade, industry and competition led by minister Ebrahim Patel spent more than R6.2m on “residential accommodation” for the country’s foreign economic representatives over three years in Russia.
The department also spent nearly R10m on “rental of space” during the annual WorldFood Moscow exhibition.
This was revealed by Patel in a parliamentary response to the DA’s Patricia Kopane, who asked Patel if the department or any entities reporting to him had concluded any commercial contracts with the government of Russia and if any entity was based in the Russian Federation since April 2017.
The department responded that, “through Dirco [the department of international relations and co-operation], it concluded a tenancy agreement for the department’s foreign economic representative’s residential accommodation. The tenancy agreement came to an end on the 30th May 2020. The department advises that the value since April 1 2017 to May 30 2020 was R6.2m.”
The department also entered into annual agreements for the rental of space during the annual WorldFood Moscow exhibition to showcase SA products for a total of R9.6m between April 2017 and May 2020.
Kopane said the department’s spending was a slap in the face of taxpayers and millions of unemployed people.
“As a country our economy is struggling, municipalities are collapsing, unemployment statistics are at an all-time high, yet we have people using so much money for their own interests. It is really uncalled for because as public representatives our priority is to cater to the needs of the people,” she said.
The director of communications in the department, Bongani Lukhele, said there was nothing untoward with the bill as foreign economic representatives were provided with accommodation worldwide.
Sowetan’s sister publication TimesLIVE reported on Wednesday that two ministers of communications and digital technologies and their deputies spent R5m on accommodation in three years.