Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane has found that former Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula's family trip to Dubai in December 2016 had been paid for by a sports company Sedgars.
Releasing the findings of her probe on Wednesday, she said this amounted to a conflict of interest as Sedgars had done business with the SA Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee.
She also said it violated the Executive Members Code of Ethics.
The Public Protector said that when Mbalula undertook the trip he did not have sufficient funds to cover the total cost and it was for this reason that he had to seek funds from acquaintances such as Yusuf Dockrat, a director of Sedgars, on his return.
Mkhwebane said what was peculiar about the so-called loan arrangement was that it was entered into after the fact and when Mbalula was facing payment demands from the travel agent.
No remedial action was recommended since Mbalula had left Parliament and is now head of elections for the ANC.
