Cash-strapped municipalities to foot bill for ‘presidential jamboree' - DA

The party’s chief whip in the National Assembly John Steenhuisen on Thursday claimed the inauguration will cost a staggering R120 million.

According to Steenhuisen, the figure was contained in a report by Parliament addressing members of the sixth parliament transition team.

In addition, Steenhuisen says that some cash-strapped municipalities will bear part of the cost in transporting delegates to Loftus Versveld.

"We believe that in the current economic circumstance that the country finds itself in, along with the president and finance minister's commitment to belt-tightening across government and the commitment that parliament has made to cut costs, that to spend this amount of money on the presidential inauguration... is excessive."

"We have a number of natural disasters around the country, we have seen 10 million unemployed, people without houses and basic services and I just don't believe... that this is a correct use of public money."

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The inauguration was in the past held at the Union Buildings with a select audience but earlier this month the Presidency announced a break in tradition.

Steenhuisen adds: "It is unconscionable that the presidency will spend hundreds of millions to transport people in, taking precious financial resources from local municipalities to fund this jamboree."

"What is even more astounding is that the presidency has instructed the provinces to send 2 000 municipal delegates to fill the new, larger venue. The presidency has instructed that the cost of transporting these delegates to Tshwane be covered by cash-strapped local municipalities. This could amount to an additional R2 million alone."

The DA has challenged the Presidency to "cut the cloth accordingly to the financial to the financial situation we find ourselves as a country".