Joemat-Pettersson must now answer for her international hotel bill

The Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Tina Joemat-Pettersson, has only told us half the story. In response to a DA parliamentary question, the Minister revealed that she has spent R1,6 million on domestic hotel stays since taking office in 2009, but she has failed to reveal how much she has spent on her international hotel stays. Today I will be writing to the Public Protector, who is now investigating the Minister for breaching the Executive Ethics Code and the Constitution, to inform her of this missing information so that she can find out whether the Minister has also violated the law during her overseas trips.

We know that Minister Joemat-Pettersson has travelled extensively abroad because, in response to another DA parliamentary question, she revealed that, since 1 April 2010, she has taken 24 international flights costing her department R869,798. (Nine of those flights were first class.) These would have resulted in at least 12 international hotel stays, but likely much more if we go back to when she took office. Now we need to know how the Minister has spent the public's money while abroad and whether she continued putting herself up at luxurious 5-star hotels as she has done in South Africa.

The Minister has claimed that it is the responsibility of the Department of International Relations and Co-operation (DIRCO) to supply information regarding her international hotel stays. However, this has not stopped her colleagues, such as the Minister of Transport, S'bu Ndebele - who is also under investigation by the Public Protector for luxurious hotel stays - from revealing his international costs. She must do the same as well. What is the Minister trying to hide?

Today I am submitting questions to the Minister to ask her - again - to reveal how much she has spent on international hotel stays and how many 5-star hotels she resided at while abroad. I will also submit the same question to DIRCO, in case the Minister fails to respond again. And I will be writing to the Public Protector to explain this missing information from the Minister's replies.

Statement issued by Lourie Bosman MP, DA Shadow Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, November 9 2011

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