where my money goes

By Political Bureau

The amount of taxpayers' money spent on World Cup tickets by government departments rose to nearly R11 million on Monday after it emerged that three more departments had splashed out on freebies for staff and special guests.

Officials who signed off on the ticket splurge are likely to face tough questions from the auditor-general when audits for the 2009/10 financial year get under way.

Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan has made it clear that spending state funds on tickets will be deemed wasteful and fruitless expenditure, as it contravenes the provisions of the Public Finance Management Act and the Code of Conduct for Civil Servants.

Replies to parliamentary questions by the DA released on Monday revealed that the Department of Trade and Industry had spent nearly R5 million, the Department of Tourism just under a million and the Department of Science and Technology just over R25 000 on a total of 520 tickets.

Added to the R5.3m already paid for tickets by the departments of Communication and Public Service and Administration, the total amount known to have been spent by the government so far is R10.9m. The figure is higher if ticket buying by the SABC and state-owned enterprises such as the SA Post Office and Sentech are included.

While the departments defended the spending as a means of rewarding employees, or an opportunity to interact with investors, a DA member of the National Council of Provinces' select committee on finance, Tim Harris, said it was unacceptable.

Gordhan had issued a circular to municipalities warning about the legal ramifications of buying World Cup tickets and had said the same principles applied with regard to national departments.

Actual amounts known to have been spent so far are:


Department of Trade and Industry: R4 738 960 for 320 tickets.


Department of Science and Technology: R25 200 on 10 tickets.


Department of Tourism: R918 973 on tickets.


Department of Public Service and Administration: R65 400 on 25 tickets.


Department of Communications: R5.2m on 2 786 tickets.


Sentech: R1.04m on 86 tickets.


SABC: R3.3m on 2 000 tickets.


SA Post Office: R800 000 on 500 tickets.

Some of the figures astound me, up to R14,000.00 a ticket, something does not make sense. that's my money at work.