Westcliff hotel stay: Sisulu must come clean

Public Service Minister Lindiwe Sisulu must come clean about her stay at the Westcliff Hotel in Pretoria. 

It was reported in September that the Minister spent several nights at the Hotel which is about 70 kilometres from her official residence. At the time the Minister said it had been a private stay. However, in a parliamentary reply to a DA question, the Minster conceded that she had spent five nights at the Westcliff on official business. 

Minister Sisulu has thus far managed to evade the questions around why she could not drive an extra 70 kilometres to her official residence and how much her hotel stay cost. Instead, as part of her parliamentary reply, she provides a non-response, avoiding the key details. 

What the people of South Africa want to know is whether the Minister could have saved on the expense of staying at a five star hotel and if so, why she chose not to. 

A five night stay at the Westcliff for a one bedroom suite is approximated at R35 000. 

The Ministerial Handbook states that "Accommodation and subsistence expenses should be kept as low as possible by making use of hotels that suit the status of Members, but which have reasonable tariffs". Spending R35 000 for five nights cannot possibly be expected to be deemed reasonable, especially since the Minster's official residence was within driving distance.

I will be asking further questions to clarify why the Minster could not make use of her official residence and determine the exact amount spent for the stay. 

Ministers should lead the way in cutting down costs as indicated by Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan. This is an unacceptable explanation by a Minister who ought to know better.

Statement issued by Kobus Marais MP, DA Shadow Minister of Public Service and Administration, November 5 2013

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