Who paid for Bathabile “R753 is enough” Dlamini’s 31 nights at the luxury Oyster Box?
15 June 2016
The DA has been reliably informed that the Minister of Social Development, Bathabile Dlamini, has stayed over at the luxury Oyster Box hotel on no less than 31 occasions. The alleged R11 000 splurged on a luxury, one-night hotel stay by Minister Dlamini therefore seems to be a common fixture in her itinerary.
The DA urges Minister Dlamini to break her silence and make public who paid for these stays. In an interview with News24, she refused to provide comment on who paid. If Minister Dlamini had nothing to hide it would be a simple thing for her to tell the nation who footed the bill for all these hotel stays.
This deluxe five-star boutique hotel – which “stands majestically on Umhlanga’s beachfront overlooking the Indian Ocean and the iconic lighthouse” is described on its website as “the ultimate in charm and style”. It has hosted the likes of Prince Albert II of Monaco and his bride Charlene Wittstock, and members of the British royal family.
These revelations about Minister Dlamini’s lavish taste in luxury accommodation come amidst her recent reply to a DA parliamentary question in which she asserts that R753 a month is “adequate” for social grant beneficiaries. Whether she made a calculation error or simply never looks at invoices when doing shopping or checking into hotels remains a mystery, as she has neither confirmed nor denied the luxury stay at the Oyster Box.
As soon as Parliament is in session, the DA will submit further parliamentary questions to ascertain whether Minister Dlamini stayed at the Oyster Box using public money. The Department of Social Development spent R12 million on foreign travel in the last financial year, and R96 million on local travel. South Africans, who are battling to get by on soaring food prices, deserve to know if this high expenditure has been extended to hotel stays too.
On 3 August, South Africans will have the opportunity to vote for change by electing a DA government that will always put their best interests first. This is the change that South Africa needs to move forward again.
Issued by Bridget Masango, DA Shadow Minister of Social Development, 15 June 2016
