Gauteng leaders 'abusing credit cards'
2013-03-05 11:53
Johannesburg - Gauteng government leaders are abusing their
official credit cards, it was reported on Tuesday.
In the past two years, leaders including Premier Nomvula
Mokonyane had used them to stay in luxury hotels, eat in expensive restaurants
and buy leather products in overseas boutiques, Beeld reported.
The newspaper had brought a high court application to gain
access to the Mokonyane's credit card statements under the Promotion of Access
to Information Act.
R16 000 for dinner meeting
It reported that, according to the statements, Mokonyane had
dined in local and international restaurants, paying up to R16 000 for a single
"dinner meeting".
In October 2011, she spent R2 585 at the Salvatore Ferragamo
luxury leather goods boutique during a trip to Milan.
Beeld reported that infrastructure development MEC Qedani
Mahlangu spent R7 309 at a leather goods boutique in Istanbul.
Finance MEC Mandla Nkomfe reportedly spent more than R160 000
in one year, primarily on entertainment, fuel and car maintenance, even though
his annual package includes a car allowance.
The premier earns R1.88m a year, and MECs R1.65m each.
According to the newspaper, the provincial legislature's
integrity commissioner Dr Ralph Mgijima recommended in 2012 that the
ministerial handbook should be edited to clarify any ambiguity about the use of
official credit cards.
"If it were up to me, I would ban all personal
purchases on credit cards.... Actually I think it's a good idea to abolish
credit cards entirely," he said.
Premier must account for spending - DA
Meanwhile, the DA on Tuesday called for Mokonyane to account
for her alleged abuse of state credit cards.
DA Gauteng leader Jack Bloom said Mokonyane should answer to
the public about why she used her official credit card to dine at expensive
restaurants at taxpayers' expense.
"The DA proposes that all government credit cards be
abolished, as is the case in DA-run Western Cape."
He said the DA had repeatedly requested details of credit
card expenditure, but had received only vague replies.
- SAPA
