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The minister of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), Des van Rooyen, must pay back the almost R1 million of public funds incurred by the Department of Public Works for his six-months-long stay in a luxurious hotel in Pretoria.

A written reply to my parliamentary question revealed that Van Rooyen spent 122 nights in hotels and two nights in a guest house, of which only 35 were in an official capacity, while awaiting a ministerial house. A state-owned residence was allocated to him from 1 June 2016.

The DA is totally against this flagrant abuse of state resources and public funds which could have gone a long way in securing job skills for the lost generation who have been left in the lurch by the uncaring ANC-led government.

As in the case of President Zuma who himself had to pay back the money for Nkandlagate, Minister Van Rooyen must personally incur the cost of this lavish and unnecessary accommodation.

The weighing of priorities by the ANC-led government has proven beyond no reasonable doubt to be grossly problematic.

While the ANC continues to parachute their compromised cadres to government positions to loot public funds, the DA remains resolute on fulfilling its mandate for change by ensuring that service delivery is realised in the places where it governs.

Issued by DA