KwaZulu-Natal economic development and tourism minister Mike Mabuyakhulu on Friday defended his R100Â 000 monthly mileage claims, saying he was reimbursed for costs he incurred while performing state duties.
It was reported on Friday that Mabuyakhulu received an average of R100Â 000 a month for using his private car for government work.
His spokesperson Mthatheni Mabaso said no law had been broken.
‘It is a matter of concern that public office bearers these days seem to be under attack when they buy official vehicles at state expense or when they buy cars from their own personal pockets.â€
Mabaso said the provincial department of transport had set options for political office bearers to obtain ‘tools of trade†such as an official vehicle.
‘Among the options is for a political office bearer to purchase a car at his own expense. In this case, he becomes responsible for petrol and maintenance as he performs his or her official duties,†said Mabaso.
The state reimburses the owner for the cost incurred as well as the maintenance, he said.
It was also the department of transport which decided the rates of reimbursement per kilometre.
‘The amount claimed is linked to the number of official duties performed, personal costs incurred and the distance between places.â€
He said he was disappointed that the issue of the claim, which he said was a parliamentary question, had found its way into the media before it had not been answered to in Parliament where it was
asked.
‘Clearly this brings into question the motive of the elements behind the frantic efforts of pressurising the media to publish this information as if it was hidden information.
”Obviously their ill intention is to create controversy where there is none.â€
He said Mabuyakhulu had bought a big car because of KwaZulu-Natal’s topography which had many rural areas the minister had to visit.
Mabuyakhulu received payment of R383Â 618,07 in four months from May
to August this year for using his Range Rover.
Opposition parties said as Mabuyakhulu lived in Empangeni, it cost government a fortune to subsidise his daily trips. – Sapa