As the fallout spread this week over an extravagant government trip to New York in March for a UN women’s summit, authorities have defiantly refused to reveal the true cost or size of the junket.
While it is believed as many as 82 delegates may have attended, neither the department of international relations & co-operation (Dirco) nor the department of women, youth & people with disabilities — which headed the delegation — could confirm how many people went on the trip, or the total cost.
The UN’s 69th Commission on the Status of Women ran from March 11 to 22, though some officials left for the event as early as March 6.
Asked for a full list of delegates and the total cost of the trip, Dirco spokesperson Clayson Monyela said: “I don't have that information.” He told the Sunday Times to approach each department for the information, but would not say which departments had been part of the trip.
Dirco is responsible for leading the co-ordination of South Africa’s international positions to ensure they are consistent and aligned with the country’s foreign policy. It also serves as the official host and organiser of South African delegations.
Asked to confirm on record that his department was “not in possession” of the requested information, minister Ronald Lamola told the Sunday Times: “Clayson is the relevant person that you must continue to liaise with.”
Questions sent to the office of ambassador Mathu Joyini, South Africa’s permanent representative to the UN in New York, elicited no response.
A request for a list of the delegates sent by the department of women, youth & people with disabilities was ignored. Neither ministry spokesperson Nompendulo Mkhatshwa nor communications head Cassius Selela responded — not to messages, e-mails or phone calls.
Home affairs spokesperson Duwayne Esau said his department managed visa applications for people wishing to visit South Africa, and referred the Sunday Times back to Dirco as the correct and relevant authority.
What is known is that the department of social development spent R3m to send six delegates; the department of women, youth & people with disabilities budgeted R2m for five delegates; and higher education spent R1.6m on five delegates.
That’s a total of R6.6m for 15 members of what parliament was told was a delegation of 82. This means the price tag for the other 67 members remains unknown.
On Monday — a day after the Sunday Times published the exposé — the department of social development placed its chief director of communications, Lumka Oliphant, on precautionary suspension for alleged mismanagement during her year-long acting tenure as director-general for corporate support services.But Oliphant publicly said she was being suspended for leaking information about the trip, which the department denied.
Oliphant posted angry comments and social media posts, saying social development minister Sisisi Tolashe “should go back to school and complete grade 12”.
On Thursday, Oliphant was notified that a formal disciplinary hearing would go ahead later this month, where she is to face eight charges relating to her statements, her attacks on the minister, and bringing the department into disrepute.
In a statement on Thursday, the department also made false accusations against the Sunday Times, incorrectly accusing it of “overlooking explanatory notes that were provided for transfer costs associated with deputy director-general for welfare services, Ms Siza Magangoe”.
However, detailed comment from the department on this was included in the story.
The department also accused the Sunday Times of stating in the report that “the South African delegates failed to attend many of the summit’s sessions”.
This is also incorrect. The report referred to a 2011 news story, which reported that a delegation of 49 had attended the UN conference that year, including then correctional services minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, who did not attend any of the sessions.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.