Sisulu 'doesn't have to explain'

2009-11-26 07:48

Cape Town - Former housing minister Lindiwe Sisulu does not need to explain how a R22m Sarafina-style theatre production was arranged, her spokesperson said on Wednesday.

"To call on the former minister of housing to explain the costs and the play is sensational and politicking that is not necessary," said Sisulu's spokesperson Ndivhuwo Mabaya.

Sisulu was responding to a call by a Democratic Alliance MP for the expenditure over the theatre production to be investigated by the Auditor-General.

A parliamentary reply from Human Settlements Minister Tokyo Sexwale revealed on Tuesday that the theatre production, for the human settlements department in the 2008/09 financial year, cost R22 569 656 over three phases of production.

195% overspend

The DA's Butch Steyn said the R22m costs contributed significantly to the enormous 195% overspend of the department's advertising budget in 2008/09.

"The Auditor General also needs to look into the award of this tender, since we are dealing with such an enormous overspend...We need to identify who was responsible for sanctioning it."

Sisulu, as former minister, must have known about the expenditure, he said.

In response Mabaya said that the DA's call for "Sisulu to explain the costs" could be seen as ignorant.

"It would be easy to dismiss this call as ignorance of the DA member of Parliament Mr Steyn on how government works. But we will provide him with free education to avoid the confusion," said Mabaya.

"Every government department has a communication section, this communication section has a budget and a programme approved and is their daily function to implement their programmes whether there is a minister or not.

Not minister's responsibility

"It is not the responsibility of the minister to implement communication campaigns and to approve budgets for those campaigns," he said.

Earlier current Human Settlements Minister Tokyo Sexwale's special advisor Chris Vick said the minister was not in a position to comment specifically on the expenditure. Sexwale had however, promised his management and staff "not to allow expenditure of this sort".

"The production in question is no longer running, and the minister of human settlements has specifically stated to his management and staff: 'This sort of expenditure will not happen on my watch'," Vick said.

- SAPA