Bathabile "R753 is enough" Dlamini blows R11 000 on luxury hotel stay 

13 June 2016

The DA has been reliably informed that the Minister of Social Development, Bathabile Dlamini, stayed over in a luxury, ocean-facing suite at the Oyster Box Hotel in Umhlanga Rocks last night. This allegedly cost R11 000. 

This comes hot on the heels of a reply to DA parliamentary question in which the Minister asserted that R753 was sufficient for social grant beneficiaries. This hotel stay makes it clear that she herself could not survive on the R753 she expects millions of South Africans to live on from month to month.

It is alleged that Minister Dlamini stayed over at this hotel with two other ANC members. The DA will therefore be submitting parliamentary questions to ascertain:

- The reasons for Minister Dlamini’s expensive stay;

- Who accompanied her and the reasons for their attendance; and

- Who footed the bill for this stay?

Just last week the DA challenged Minister Dlamini to come shopping with us to see for herself how far a meagre R753 can go towards “adequate food as well as additional non-food items”. Unsurprisingly the Minister has not responded to our invitation and has instead decided to blow more money on lavish hotel stays while the people she vowed to protect languish in poverty. 

This is further evidence of just how much the ANC governs like poor black lives don’t matter to them. This has been compounded by the ANC’s failure to support several proposals made by the DA which would have reallocated R9.52 billion in the 2016/17 budget towards measures that could improve the lives of people in South Africa. 

To this end, the DA launched its petition for an increase in social grants, and will continue fighting to ensure that the poor and vulnerable in our society are made a priority. We encourage all South Africans to sign the DA’s petition, which will be handed over to the Department of Social Development.

On 3 August, South Africans have an opportunity to vote for change, and for a DA government that will put them first. In the meantime, we’ll be looking forward to Minister Dlamini joining us to test her assertion that R753 is“adequate” given rapidly rising food costs.

Issued by Bridget Masango, DA Shadow Minister of Social Development, 13 June 2016