[translation]

"Goodness, what are you complaining about? I couldn't even attend all the Super Rugby games", says the Deputy Minister of sport whospent over R1m of taxpayers' money on over 100 flights last year.

March 6 2012 at 09:00am

R2.6m ON FLIGHTS FOR MINISTER AND DEPUTY
Michelle Pietersen in The Star Newspaper

SPORTS Minister Fikile Mbalula and his deputy, Gert Oosthuizen, have out-flown their international relations counterparts and spent R2.6 million on 345 domestic and international flights since 2010.

That’s 186 more flights than the minister and deputy minister of international relations and co-operation.

International Relations and Co-operation Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane and her two deputies, Marius Fransman and Ebrahim Ebrahim, took a combined total of 159 domestic and international flights during the same period, says DA MP Winston Rabotapi.

In a parliamentary reply to questions by Rabotapi, Mbalula disclosed that since April 1, 2010, Oosthuizen spent R1.1m on 105 flights, including 29 international flights, at a cost of R806 293. Oosthuizen spent more time travelling overseas than the minister, who spent R747 410 on 16 international flights.