PLEASE EXPLAIN?

[semiautomatix]

How is throwing a year end function an abuse of your hard earned money. Don't you get year end functions at your workplace?
The civil servants that were entertained during those functions are also tax payers like you so don't think for once that you alone are paying for their entertainment.

Now either you are stupid or you're playing stupid. These figures are not for an end of year function and took place entertaining such people as colleagues from other departments and the GSSC.

Further to that there are dinner and expenses totalling R50 000 over several months in 2006. This happened on at least 8 separate occasions.

Now that is what I want you to respond to, but either you don't understand the figures below or you're just ducking the question.

Read:

Mashatile is no stranger to controversy. He made news headlines in 2006 when he spent nearly R100 000 on a dinner at the posh Auberge Michel restaurant in Sandton. He allegedly used his government credit card to entertain colleagues from the economics and treasury departments and the Gauteng Shared Services Centre.

Mashatile reportedly spent more than R250 000 on restaurant bills in the five months from February to June in 2006.

Mashatile said he spent:

# R480 at Ritrovo restaurant in Pretoria; R17 183,50 on two visits to Auberge Michel; and R1 900 at Pigalle in January;

# R2 641,45 on two visits to Auberge Michel and R12 297 at Pigalle in March;

# R2 030,95 at The Butcher and Grill in April;

# R5 409,90 on one sitting at Beverley Hills in Durban and R3 720,20 on a single visit to Auberge Michel in May; and

# R99 810,40 on two visits to Auberge Michel and R85 at Palazzo Mede in June.

 

[EchoZA]

Because no party should be allowed the temptation of having so much power to do as they please, afterall absolute power corrupts absolutely.

Modern democracy is perceived to be a two-party state with a possible minority party or independents to sway the vote.

The system we have in South Africa is very wrong for many reasons:

- Firstly their is a single party with too much power which removes all accountability and allows that party to do what they will without so much as a thought for the will of the people.

- Secondly South Africa, unlike many modern democracies, does not elect representatives of themselves to Parliament (something the US Congress does do) and this means that MPs do not know their voters or the people they represent. Had this been the case then MPs are free to vote their conscience; which means they fear not being removed by the ruling party (in this instance the ANC) and can better represent their particular voting district or constituency.

As it stands if you do not vote along party lines you are suspended and your seat given to someone else. However, in a truly representative democracy the only way to be re-elected to Parliament is by your voters - treat them right and you have a seat for life.

Had the above been true in South Africa then a 2/3 majority is not as frightening as it seems because not all the ANC MPs would necessarily vote the way the ANC dictates.

- Finally, our electorate is highly uneducated (in matters of politics) and merely vote for a particular party on the basis of some almost historical right and legacy, which no longer exists. Proper education would give them the choice to place a representative in power who will fight for their rights, and also hold accountable anyone who does not.

In conclusion, a change to the constitution is indeed required, but this should be the collective decision of several parties and not the dictated beliefs of a single party; a single party claiming to represent the people who elected them, when in reality they are so far removed in their "ivory towers" they have little understanding the suffering and needs of a vast majority of this country.

FIN

Tim, well said! Could not have explained it any better (even if I tried!)

 

[semiautomatix]

Well, perhaps the company has a social club that employees contribute towards for the year end function. Or it is a budgetted amount that the company pays.

Either way, they don't go to your company and ask them to pay for it. Or worse, raid their petty cash box and then tell them that they're paying for it.

However, the figures in question are for Mashatile entertaining guests, not for an end of year function. There are at least 8 incidents in 2006 adding up to approximately R200 000.

 

[semiautomatix]

Tim, well said! Could not have explained it any better (even if I tried!)

Thanks mate! Its something that has concerned me for the longest time. South Africa has a very unorthodox (in general) representation system. The system has been abused to the point that ordinary citizens are very far removed from their Parliamentarian representation, which is almost tantamount to being disenfranchised.

 

[semiautomatix]

Now either you are stupid or you're playing stupid. These figures are not for an end of year function and took place entertaining such people as colleagues from other departments and the GSSC.

Further to that there are dinner and expenses totalling R50 000 over several months in 2006. This happened on at least 8 separate occasions.

Now that is what I want you to respond to, but either you don't understand the figures below or you're just ducking the question.

Read:

People please note that JungleBoy is refusing to answer or argue my post that Paul Mashatile is abusing our hard earned tax money for his own benefit on no less than 8 different occasions. This has become rather typical of JungleBoy and various other individuals on this forum that when faced with an obvious truth that nullifies their point-of-view they choose to respond as if nothing has occurred rather than admitting they were incorrect.

This typical "ostrich attitude" is not only found on this forum but in the entire ruling party. If you can't get rid of the problem legally then try abusing the courts, if this fails pretend like the issue does not exist.

JungleBoy, do you refute the fact that you refuse to answer any facts that are contradictory to your argument? If not then please answer the questions about Mashatile asked above.

 

[TonyHawk]

However, the figures in question are for Mashatile entertaining guests, not for an end of year function. There are at least 8 incidents in 2006 adding up to approximately R200 000.

Let the f*ckers eat themselves to death... hope its quick... cause I'm running out of tax money

 

[thatdamnJoe]

How is throwing a year end function an abuse of your hard earned money. Don't you get year end functions at your workplace?
The civil servants that were entertained during those functions are also tax payers like you so don't think for once that you alone are paying for their entertainment.

I've heard this kind of argument from ruling party apologists before.

Q:Why dont you care that they spend a lot of money on useless things?
A: they budgeted for it so there is money.

FFs, just because you planned to waste my money in advance doesnt make it right.

There is no way in hell you can convince me that is was either necessary or moral to spend > R250 000 of taxpayers' money in six months time at a restaurant.