'Mbeki's holiday cost R700 000'

2004-03-25 22:13

Mandy Rossouw

Johannesburg - A short "holiday" by President Thabo Mbeki at Christmas set taxpayers back a staggering R700 000, said Douglas Gibson of the Democratic Alliance on Thursday.

The issue of Mbeki's R702 240 Christmas trip to the Bahama Islands was raised by the DA in parliament.

Mbeki and wife, Zanele, spent the holiday with Foreign Affairs Minister Nkosozama Dlamini-Zuma and Frank Chikane, director-general for the presidency, in Bermuda at the invitation of Bahamas Prime Minister Perry Christie.

From there, they went to Haiti for the island's bicentennial independence celebrations.

In reply, Mbeki said numerous official meetings were held with business leaders and bilateral talks were held on tourism and trade between the South African delegation and Christie.

Gibson claimed it was too much of a coincidence that Mbeki embarked on a state visit at Christmas.

'Mbeki earns a good salary'

"There was no reason for the state visit. The president simply went on holiday on taxpayers' money," said Gibson on Thursday.

"President Mbeki and his entourage did not have a tightly packed schedule and the visit included a lot more than was necessary.

"Because the Bahamas is such a small country it is not of great importance to South Africa. There was clearly another reason for the visit."

According to Gibson, the visit was nothing more than a "Caribbean beach holiday".

"President Mbeki earns a good salary, so surely South African taxpayers don't have to pay the bill for this.

"Mbeki spends a lot of time overseas, the least he could do is spend a holiday in South Africa."

Bheki Khumalo, spokesperson for Mbeki, said on Thursday that this was just an attempt by the DA to "create fear in white people" so they would vote for them.

"I am not going to comment on this. Gibson is talking nonsense; every day, they come out with a new story to scare voters."

- Beeld