Question NW1247 to the President of the Republic

Share this page:

13 August 2020 - NW1247

Profile picture: Schreiber, Dr LA

Schreiber, Dr LA to ask the President of the Republic

With reference to his reply to question 419 on 5 June 2020, and notwithstanding the provisions relating to international travel in the Guide for Members of the Executive which makes provision for a spouse or adult family member to accompany the Minister or Deputy Minister along with essential departmental staff and/or advisors, and no more than two support staff, on what grounds did he make his finding that Deputy Minister H I Bagopane-Zulu did not violate any standard procedures or regulations by taking her niece’s would-be fiancé on three different international trips to assist them in saving enough subsistence and travel allowance from the Department of Social Development’s travel allowance, in order to be able to pay lobola; (2) whether it is his position that Ministers and Deputy Ministers are allowed to take any person they would deem essential, regardless of whether the person has any relevance to assisting with official tasks on the specified trip, or regardless of whether the Minister or Deputy Minister feels that they have not done anything unlawful as long as the standard procedures and regulations pertaining to international travel are properly followed; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details?

Reply:

As I indicated in my reply to Question 419, I have not been provided with any grounds for the allegation that a certain person was taken on international trips without following standard procedure and regulations.

And as I said in my reply, if the Honourable Member or any other person has evidence of a violation of the relevant prescripts, they are requested to make such information available.

Source file