Eastern Cape premier Oscar Mabuyane’s office spent more than R7m on new laptops and cellphone contracts for staff in the 2020/21 financial year.
Expenditure on laptops totalled R1.5m while R5.7m was spent on cellphone contracts, up from R930,467 and R2.9m respectively in the 2019/20 financial year.
The figures were disclosed in a written reply to parliamentary questions from DA MPL Kobus Botha, who described the spending as wasteful expenditure.
Instead of tightening its belt as finance minister Tito Mboweni had consistently called on the government to do, Mabuyane’s office “blew” millions on the gadgets, Botha said in a statement on Friday.
“I am challenging the premier to put an immediate stop to this wasteful expenditure,” he said.
“Premier Oscar Mabuyane confirmed that his office had spent over R77,000 on one laptop.
“In fact, while nearly half the [people in the] province [are] unemployed, the premier’s office blew R235,000 on just six laptops in the last financial year.”
Botha said Mabuyane’s office should lead by example and cut unnecessary expenditure because both Mboweni and finance MEC Mlungisi Mvoko had said government had to do more with less.
“Over the past four financial years, they have spent in close on R4.7m on laptops and close on R13.35m on cellphone contracts.
“The premier should be setting the example for cost-cutting, not splashing out on extravagant laptops and runaway cellphone contracts.”
Botha said though there was a need for officials to be provided with the tools of trade, this should be done in a cost-effective way.
“This money could have been better utilised to provide further assistance to departmental programmes, geared towards the creation of jobs.
“Government needs to ensure that the funds entrusted to them by the public are spent in such a way that the public receives the best value for their money,” he said, adding that he would write to Mabuyane to demand answers on how the expenditure complied with his office’s policy.
Botha also called on the premier’s office to review what he described as the runaway costs of cellphone contracts.
At the time of publishing, Mabuyane’s acting spokesperson Mxolisi Spondo’s phone rang unanswered.
He also did not respond to a WhatsApp message.
HeraldLIVE
Premier’s office slammed for ‘runaway spending’ on cellphones, laptops
Image: MARK ANDREWS
Eastern Cape premier Oscar Mabuyane’s office spent more than R7m on new laptops and cellphone contracts for staff in the 2020/21 financial year.
Expenditure on laptops totalled R1.5m while R5.7m was spent on cellphone contracts, up from R930,467 and R2.9m respectively in the 2019/20 financial year.
The figures were disclosed in a written reply to parliamentary questions from DA MPL Kobus Botha, who described the spending as wasteful expenditure.
Instead of tightening its belt as finance minister Tito Mboweni had consistently called on the government to do, Mabuyane’s office “blew” millions on the gadgets, Botha said in a statement on Friday.
“I am challenging the premier to put an immediate stop to this wasteful expenditure,” he said.
“Premier Oscar Mabuyane confirmed that his office had spent over R77,000 on one laptop.
“In fact, while nearly half the [people in the] province [are] unemployed, the premier’s office blew R235,000 on just six laptops in the last financial year.”
Botha said Mabuyane’s office should lead by example and cut unnecessary expenditure because both Mboweni and finance MEC Mlungisi Mvoko had said government had to do more with less.
“Over the past four financial years, they have spent in close on R4.7m on laptops and close on R13.35m on cellphone contracts.
“The premier should be setting the example for cost-cutting, not splashing out on extravagant laptops and runaway cellphone contracts.”
Botha said though there was a need for officials to be provided with the tools of trade, this should be done in a cost-effective way.
“This money could have been better utilised to provide further assistance to departmental programmes, geared towards the creation of jobs.
“Government needs to ensure that the funds entrusted to them by the public are spent in such a way that the public receives the best value for their money,” he said, adding that he would write to Mabuyane to demand answers on how the expenditure complied with his office’s policy.
Botha also called on the premier’s office to review what he described as the runaway costs of cellphone contracts.
At the time of publishing, Mabuyane’s acting spokesperson Mxolisi Spondo’s phone rang unanswered.
He also did not respond to a WhatsApp message.
HeraldLIVE
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