Agriculture Minister under fire for "air ticket abuse"

01 Feb 2016 | Admin Author

Public Protector, Thuli Madonsela, says president Jacob Zuma should reprimand Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Tina Joemat-Pettersson.

That's for the contravention of the executive ethics act with the respect to the abuse of air-tickets.

It was alleged that she had spent more than R150 000 for return tickets for her two children and an au-pair on an official trip to Sweden in 2009.

Madonesela says Joeman Petersen should pay back the money to the state.

The Public Protector further found Joemat-Pettersson to be in contravention of the Executive Ethics Act, by spending almost half-a-million-rand on executive accommodation in a month's time, while awaiting the completion of her official residence by the Department of Public Works.

Madonsela did mention that Joemat-Pettersson's was forced to arrange alternative accommodation, during the 2010 Fifa World Cup - totaling to an unconscionably excessive amount.

The Public Protector did however concede that she did go through a lot of trouble, but that the responsibility of the use of state funds, demanded her to do much more.

The Democratic Alliance says Madonsela's recommendation that Joemat-Petersen should be reprimanded is just a slap on the wrist.

MP, Lourie Bosman, called for tougher action saying last year the late Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Sicelo Shiceka, was fired for similar offences.