- Deputy President Paul Mashatile's Japan trip in March cost taxpayers R2.3 million, including R900 000 for his and his wife's lodging.
- Mashatile, whose lavish lifestyle has drawn attention back home, and his wife also cost the taxpayer more than R2 million for accommodation in London last year.
- The executive’s spending on trips abroad was revealed through ActionSA’s parliamentary questions.
Deputy President Paul Mashatile’s trip to Japan in March cost the taxpayer R2.3 million, of which just more than R900 000 went to his and his wife’s lodgings.
The R2.3 million is in addition to the more than R5 million spent on his trip to Ireland and the UK last year, which included a R2-million hotel tab in London.
News24’s investigations team has published a series of articles detailing how Mashatile lives an opulent life his government salary seems unlikely to support, benefitting from family and friends’ largesse, including the likes of
corruption-accused Edwin Sodi.
As it turns out, Mashatile also apparently enjoys luxury when visiting abroad, especially if his responses to questions from ActionSA chief whip Lerato Ngobeni are anything to go by.
But on these occasions, it is not his family or compromised tenderpreneurs picking up the tab; it is the taxpayer.
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Ngobeni’s latest question to Mashatile, which details the expenses on the trip to Japan, is the latest in a series of queries her party has sent to Cabinet members about the executive’s travel expenses since the start of the seventh administration in July last year.
So far, the executive’s travels have cost the country more than R184 million, according to ActionSA’s calculations, which excludes the most recent round of questions.
Ngobeni asked Mashatile for the complete updated breakdown of all official travel for him since he assumed office on 3 July 2024, including the purpose and justification for each trip, destination details, costs incurred, including but not limited to transport, accommodation, meals and other related incidental expenses, names and roles of all accompanying support staff and their respective costs and additional costs associated with each specified trip.
Mashatile undertook the following visits since July last year
- Ireland and UK working visit, 26 September to 4 October 2024, costing R5 475 829.03.
- Standing in for President Cyril Ramaphosa at the inauguration of the president of Botswana, Duma Boko, on 8 November 2024, costing R52 867.58.
- Standing in for Ramaphosa at the Extraordinary SADC Summit on 20 November 2024 in Harare, Zimbabwe, costing R56 166.20.
- Japan working visit from 16 to 19 March 2025, costing R2 319 138.19.
“The outgoing working visit by the deputy president was of strategic importance as it focused on strengthening political, economic and social areas of cooperation between the two countries,” read his response to Ngobeni.
“The working visit came at the back of the two nations celebrating 115 years of strong diplomatic relations.”
Mashatile noted that Japan was South Africa’s fourth-largest trading partner, and as such, his visit focused on strengthening bilateral economic relations.
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“During numerous engagements, South Africa noted that many Japanese companies have expanded investment plans in the pipeline in South Africa, thereby having assured the South African government of Japan’s trust and support in its economic policies,” read his answer.
Mashatile was accompanied by the following members of the executive:
- Deputy International Relations and Cooperation Minister Thandi Moraka.
- Sport, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie.
- Higher Education Minister Nobuhle Nkabane.
- Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen.
- Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Parks Tau.
- Deputy Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Nomalungelo Gina.
Travel costs for these members of the executive and their delegations are not included in the R2.3 million.
According to Mashatile, the visit achieved several “key objectives”.
“It presented the first high-level engagement between South Africa and Japan in the last 10 years. The visit signalled an acknowledgement and appreciation for the long-standing relationship between the two countries based on a wide area of cooperation, and not only trade and investment which have been the hallmark and bedrock of these bilateral ties.
“It solicited a commitment from both sides to further strengthen bilateral relations by exploring numerous new opportunities for cooperation.”
Mashatile and his delegation had several meetings with Japanese captains of industry “in areas such as manufacturing and machinery, mining and mineral beneficiation, energy cooperation, the automotive industry and greater market access for South Africa’s agricultural products, among others”.
Mashatile also met with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi, “with the objective to foster closer political collaboration”.
Mashatile was accompanied by the following persons, with their designation and role on the trip as stated in the response:
- Humile Mashatile, spouse of the deputy president, participated in the spousal programme.
- Mduduzi Mbada, the deputy director-general to the deputy president, provided strategic support to the deputy president.
- Keith Khoza, the political advisor and acting spokesperson for the deputy president, provided advisory support to the deputy president.
- Itumeleng Mafatshe, the acting head of communications, provided content support/speechwriting.
- Refilwe Letswalo, the private secretary to Humile Mashatile, provided administrative support.
- Tshiamo Selomo, the media liaison officer, provided overall communication support to the deputy president.
- Ephenia Lerutle, the private secretary to the deputy president, provided secretarial support.
- Siphiwe Nukeri, the presidential aide, provided aide to the deputy president.
- Peggy Edah, the protocol officer, rendered overall protocol support.
Mashatile and his wife’s flights cost R117 518.08 each, while the other members of his delegation’s flights cost between R23 459.74 and R117 518.08.
Mashatile and his wife’s accommodation, given as one figure, cost a whopping R956 057.00. The accommodation for the rest of his entourage ranged between R21 785.70 and R63 253.30. In total, accommodation costs amounted to R1 235 569.73.
Ground transport for the whole group amounted to R410 926.94.
Laundry services amounted to R8 033.50, and “restaurant services [food and beverage]” R51 393.10.
Ngobeni’s question followed an earlier query, in which Mashatile detailed the expenses of the trips to Ireland and the UK, as well as Botswana and Zimbabwe.
For the day trip to Botswana and Zimbabwe, Mashatile and several members of his entourage used the Air Force for flights.
The Botswana trip cost R52 867.58, and the Zimbabwe trip R56 166.20.
The trip to Ireland and the UK, however, came in at R5 475 829.03, of which R2 077 587.00 went to Mashatile and his wife’s accommodation in London, while the rest of the entourage ranged between R118 838.00 and R147 439.00.
Mashatile and his wife were slumming it in Ireland, relatively speaking, as their accommodation for this part of the trip came in at only R164 476.00. The rest of the entourage’s accommodation costs ranged between R26 246.80 and R138 967.00.
Mashatile recently visited France. The costs of this trip have not been reported to Parliament, through a question from ActionSA, yet.
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