ActionSA has called on Public Works Minister Dean Macpherson to repay alleged taxpayer funds spent on his partner’s travel to Brazil, amid broader scrutiny of government travel expenditure.
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Minister of Public Works, Dean Macpherson has admitted that he spent R350,000 on a working trip to Brazil with his partner, however, has rejected claims that the cost of the trip was R839,000.
He said that he was unaware of any alleged internal dispute among departmental officials.
The controversy comes amid broader scrutiny of travel expenditure within South Africa’s government of national unity.
ActionSA has called on Macpherson to repay taxpayer money allegedly spent on his partner during the trip.
In a statement, the party’s MP Malebo Kobe said, “ActionSA calls on Minister Macpherson to immediately pay back the alleged wasted taxpayer money and to provide a full public explanation and apology for this abuse.
“South Africa cannot afford ministers who treat the public purse as their personal travel fund.”
However, Macpherson denied the allegation regarding the reported amount and said he had no knowledge of any disagreement among departmental officials.
He maintained that the total cost of the working visit to Brazil, which included his partner, was R350,000.
He added that he had found no evidence of fruitless or wasteful duplicate bookings.
Macpherson is a member of the Democratic Alliance (DA), the largest partner in the coalition government at the national level.
His office has not indicated whether any repayment would be considered, however, it maintained that the reported R839,000 figure is incorrect.
Earlier this year, ActionSA MP Alan Beesley said ministers in the coalition had racked up nearly R450 million in travel and accommodation expenses in their first 18 months in office.
He said the figure could exceed R500 million once all parliamentary replies are finalised.
The spending was compiled through ActionSA’s GNU performance tracker and based on replies to parliamentary questions.
“At a time of deep economic crisis, with 12 million South Africans unemployed and essential public services severely lacking, this level of spending reflects an alarming profligacy and an out-of-touch misuse of taxpayer funds,” Beesley said.
According to Beesley, the departments with the highest travel spending in the first 18 months of the administration were:
-Human Settlements, under (ANC) minister Thembi Simelane: R32.98 million
-Water and Sanitation, under (ANC) minister Pemmy Majodina: R29.57 million
-Women, Youth and People with Disabilities, under (ANC) minister Sindisiwe Chikunga: R25.27 million
-Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, previously under (DA) minister Dion George and now led by Willie Aucamp: R24.41 million
-The Presidency, under President Cyril Ramaphosa: R24.17 million
Beesley said a culture of executive indulgence was evident across departments, pointing to what he described as disproportionate travel spending.
He pointed to Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Parks Tau, whose office spent R2.12 million on a three-night stay in New York in September 2024 and a further R1.5 million for a one-week trip to Washington in July 2024.
Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi incurred R2.75 million for a seven-night visit to New York in September last year, R1.33 million for two days in Brazil and R1.18 million for a one-week trip to the United Kingdom, he said.
Beesley also criticised the office of Chikunga, saying it had spent nearly R5 million on international air tickets alone since taking office.
He accused several ministers and deputy ministers of evading accountability by delaying or failing to respond fully to parliamentary questions on travel costs.
Meanwhile, Kobe said that at a time when South Africans were battling rising costs, collapsing infrastructure and unreliable service delivery, such spending was indefensible.
“Even more alarming in this matter is the alleged blatant waste of taxpayer rands, as revealed in reports about the chaotic booking process for the trip to Brazil, where three separate non-refundable flight bookings, totalling R95,649.17, R232,869.17 and R158,859.17, were made due to confusion within the department.
“This represents a flagrant abuse of state resources,” she said.
Kobe said the matter underscored ActionSA’s Enhanced Cut Cabinet Perks Bill, introduced in May 2025, in Parliament.
The proposed legislation aims to curb what the party describes as unchecked extravagance in the Ministerial Handbook and end a culture of entitlement within the executive.
“Ironically, this is the very fight the DA abandoned the moment it entered the coalition and gained access to the same perks it once criticised,” she said.
“South Africans are tightening their belts. Ministers must do the same and not expect taxpayers, already under pressure, to finance the getaways of ministers and their partners.”
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