Nearly R1.5 million of taxpayer’s money was spent to ferry government officials, including Justice Minister Ronald Lamola, to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague earlier this year.
This amount is seven times the amount spent on the government’s legal team for the momentous sitting in January. South Africa hauled Israel before the ICJ, asking that its military actions in Gaza be deemed genocidal.
After two days of submissions and counterarguments, the court found that Israel had a case to answer in their response to Hamas’ October 7 attack. The court ruled that Israel should take “all measures within its power” to prevent genocide in the war.
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In response to a recent parliamentary question on the cost of the trip, Lamola revealed that his travel expenses came to over R443,000. An entourage of state officials, including their VIP protection, cost the state an additional R1,025,359 in travel expenses.
The three lawyers, one senior and two junior, who travelled on the department’s account cost R277,000. The department also spent R136,194 on accommodation and allowances for the minister and state officials.
While the three legal practitioners worked pro bono, R73,420 was spent on their accommodation. The funds for this trip were sourced from the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development.
Lamola did not provide further details on the specific accommodation and transport used for the trip.
In a separate incident, over R170,000 was spent on Police Minister Bheki Cele’s travel costs to a media briefing in KwaZulu-Natal. This included the costs of flights, transfers, accommodation, broadcasting, media-related expenses, and venue costs.
The bill sparked outrage from the Democratic Alliance (DA), who called for Cele to be charged in his capacity.
The party criticized the use of state resources, including SAPS assets, for party political events. They accused Cele of displaying an arrogant sense of entitlement that has become a hallmark of ANC politicians across the government system.
It is important to ensure that taxpayer funds are used responsibly and efficiently. Transparency in the allocation and use of these funds is crucial in maintaining public trust and confidence in the government.
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