Rejects Deputy President Paul Mashatile attempt to avoid accountability for mounting Japan’s travel expenses.
Mashatile’s emanetes from the responses he gave parliamentary which wanted detailes about his Japan working visit, which took place from 16 to 19 March 2025.
Mashatile stated to parliament that during his trip to Japan he was accompanied by a high-level delegation including Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Thandi Moraka, Minister of Sport, Arts, and Culture Gayton McKenzie, Minister of Higher Education Dr Nobuhle Nkabane, Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen, Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition Parks Tau, and Deputy Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Nomalungelo Gina.
Now in a twist of events ActionSA Parliamentary Chief Whip Matthew Goerge said his organization is baffled by Mashatile’s latest attempt to evade accountability for his international and domestic travel expenses.
George claims that Mashatile has tried to sidestep scrutiny by deflecting the question to DIRCO.
“This sly bureaucratic manoeuvre has rightly been rejected by Parliament. We also refuses to accept this evasive wriggle, with the National Assembly now returning the reply and recommending that the Mashatile respond fully and directly to our question. This attempted dodge comes after we exposed the Deputy President’s shocking R2.3 million trip to Japan, as well as the GNU’s nearly R300 million in combined travel expenses since taking office on our GNU Tracker,” he said.
George said that Action SA have introduced the Enhanced Cut Cabinet Perks Bill designed to rein in the extravagant perks enjoyed by Ministers.
“It is precisely this culture of entitlement and evasiveness that ActionSA seeks to end. That is why we have introduced the Enhanced Cut Cabinet Perks Bill. Addition, our Constitutional Amendment Bill proposes the complete abolition of all 32 Deputy Minister positions as outdated and wasteful layer of government that South Africa simply cannot afford.
“We will not allow the political elite to hide behind bureaucracy and live in luxury while South Africans struggle. We will continue to expose waste, demand accountability and fight for an ethical government that respects the people’s money,” he said.