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Health deputy's trip 'a mistake'
06/08/2007 08:13 - (SA)
Johannesburg - A trip to Spain by the deputy health minister without the president's approval was a "mistake" and partly due to "miscommunication", the Business Day newspaper reported on Monday.
According to a source in the ministry - who spoke to the newspaper on condition of anonymity - Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge and her party were already in Spain when her office informed her of President Thabo Mbeki's decision to disallow the trip.
Madlala-Routledge, took a "consultant" in her office along with her son on a trip to Spain, allegedly without obtaining presidential approval, at a cost of R160 000 to the taxpayer.
Ministers and deputy ministers need the president's approval to travel outside the country.
Generous spending allowance
The three flew business class, stayed at a luxury hotel and were allocated generous spending money while abroad, the City Press reported on Sunday.
An anonymous whistleblower had written to Mbeki to draw his attention to the unauthorised Madrid trip.
There is evidence of other expenses incurred by the department due to the consultant, Sukhthi Naidoo, taking regular trips around the country, flying business class, hiring luxury cars and sleeping in hotels at taxpayers' expense.
The letter, in the possession of City Press, is accompanied by detailed evidence of expenses incurred during the trip.
Presidential spokesperson Mukoni Ratshitanga confirmed that the presidency had received the letter.
Madlala-Routledge said she had been invited by the International Aids Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) to address their seminar on Aids vaccines scheduled for June 12 to 15.
She told acting health minister at the time, Lulu Xingwana, she would be taking her son, Simon, an NGO activist, and Naidoo on the trip. Total costs for the trip, including spending money amounted to R161 000.
But Xingwana, in a written reply, advised Madlala-Routledge to ask the president for permission to go on the trip.
According to the Business Day's source there was no intention of defying Mbeki. The source said that a "mistake" could have been made as the Presidency had been informed that Madlala-Routledge would leave only on the Tuesday to attend the conference the next day, when in fact she had left on the Monday.
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