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Corrections boss’ taxpayer-funded 3-year hotel stay

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Dear Editor

An expose by the Citizen has revealed that for the last 3 years, the Department of Correctional Services (DSC) has allegedly been paying for the Acting Eastern Cape Correctional Services Commissioner, Lucky Mthethwa, to stay in luxury hotels in the Eastern Cape.

This luxury stay and extravagant lifestyle has been paid for exclusively by the taxpayers of South Africa for yet another ANC cadre. Despite cadre deployment having been rife during the Zuma era, it appears that the Presidency of Cyril Ramaphosa is all too happy to continue milking the cash cow that is the taxpayers and deploying their connected crony friends into high-paying positions.

According to reports, Lucky Mthethwa stayed at the ICC Premier Hotel in East London at a cost of R1 440 per night. The total bill for his three-year stay was R1 445 760.00

What is more shocking to learn is that the state house, which is where Mthethwa would have ordinarily stayed, and which was recently renovated at a further cost of R1 million, was available for occupation, however, Mthethwa refused to stay there. The DCS signed off on this exorbitant R1.4 million stay for three years, while a perfectly good and renovated property was available. These allegations go against the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services bragging that he runs a prudent and above-board operation.

One thing that is abundantly clear from this expose, is that the ANC simply does not care about the people of South Africa, only their deployed connected cadre friends, who continue living the luxurious life on the taxpayers’ dime.

The DA will ensure everyone responsible for allowing this complete and utter wasteful expenditure is brought to book. The DA has today submitted a complaint to the Public Protector’s Office to investigate the abuse of state resources, with the request that Mthethwa be ordered to repay every cent abused from the taxpayer.

In addition, the DA will be writing to SARS Commissioner, Edward Kieswetter, to launch an audit into Mthethwa’s tax affairs as his luxurious stay must be taxed as a fringe benefit.

This is yet another example of the ANC mismanaging the people’s money. Under a DA government, come 29 May 2024, the DA will ensure all unnecessary expenditure such as this is cut from the budget so that taxpayer funds are used for the purposes for which they were meant, benefiting the citizens, not ANC cadres.

Regards

Janho Engelbrecht MP
DA Shadow Minister of Correctional Services

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