Call for Mokonyane's house to be sold
2013-03-07 13:39
Johannesburg - Gauteng Premier Nomvula Mokonyane's official
house in Bryanston, which will undergo maintenance costing R7.5m over three
years, must be sold, the DA in the province said on Thursday.
Spokesperson Jack Bloom said that R13.5m had been spent on
the house since it was bought for R11.5m in March 2004.
"Why has it cost more to repair than it was bought
for?" he asked.
"It should be sold off as soon as possible, with the
proceeds used to benefit the people of Gauteng."
'Excessive spending'
Bloom said Gauteng Infrastructure Development MEC Qedani
Mahlangu had refused to disclose the names of the companies which refurbished
the house when he asked for them in the provincial legislature.
"She has also refused to give details of how they were
chosen for this work."
Bloom said he would apply for information under the
Promotion of Access to Information Act.
Last year, Bloom approached the public protector to
investigate "excessive spending" on Mokonyane's house.
Beeld reported that taxpayers will have to pay R7.5m in the
next three years to maintain Mokonyane's residence.
Her spokesperson Thebe Mohatle told the newspaper the
Gauteng government had spent about R25m, including the purchase price, on the
house since it was bought in 2004.
In addition, R1.2m of taxpayers' money had been spent on new
furniture, linen and curtains for the house.
Asked whether Mokonyane felt it was reasonable to expect
taxpayers to pay so much on the upkeep of her home, Mohatle said it was a
private matter.
Beeld recently reported that Mokonyane had used her official
credit card to pay for luxury hotels and restaurants in the past two years. In
one instance, she paid R16 000 for a single dinner meeting.
Mokonyane currently earns R1.88m a year.
- SAPA
