HOW Mthunywa Ngonzo’s bill at the Holiday Inn in East London is made up:
THE head of the provincial Education Department has racked up an astonishing bill of R1.4million for a hotel stay that stretches back to 2007.
Mthunywa Ngonzo has enjoyed the comforts of the local Holiday Inn since November 2007, where he has lived while occupying the posts of acting deputy director-general (DDG) and acting education superintendent-general (SG). His full- time job is education director for Cofimvaba district and he owns a home in Queenstown.
A spreadsheet leaked to the Dispatch shows that he cost the department R783 000 from April to September 2008 for accommodation. That amount would buy a three-bedroom family home in Amalinda, with change to spare for transfer fees.
But education officials said his bill was at least R1.4million, taking into account the full duration of his stay at the Holiday Inn.
His hotel room costs R1149 a night on a bed and breakfast basis; laundry R500 a month; dinner R120 a day; and a daily lunch pack, R95.
Several travel agencies are used to make the bookings and facilitate payments.
The expenditure is despite the financial problems facing his department, including under- equipped schools, insufficient teachers and a disastrous school nutrition feeding programme.
Ngonzo confirmed the expenses and said he had grown weary of hotel life. “Yes, I am staying in the Holiday Inn and as a visitor in town one has to book a hotel. I am not full-time employed in these positions so the employer should find me accommodation.” Ngonzo was asked if he thought the expenditure was justified. “Well, I am also tired of staying in hotels. I am talking to the Public Works Department to see if they can assist me in finding a house. Otherwise my employer is the right person to speak to.”
Departmental spokesperson Loyiso Pulumani said the arrangement was in line with standard department policies regarding the accommodation of seconded officials.
He said the policy allowed the department to use hotels with no higher than three star grading to ensure that “proper and equitable accommodation is secured for all seconded officials”.
“The department had previously advertised the positions, but because of legal disputes lodged by some of the applicants, it was felt that, in line with practices of good governance, equity and fairness, the process be started from scratch.
“That process is now at an advanced stage, in fact shortlisting will be finalised by next week.”
One concerned senior official said a DDG was only entitled to annual accommodation and travelling expenses limited to R260 000. “Where is this budget coming from, because all we know is that not a single official qualifies for such expensive accommodation from any financial year budget? In a few months Ngonzo has used close to a million rand.”
Another official said the money would have been better spent elsewhere. “This money is supposed to build schools, feed hungry school children and educate the poor but a person who is supposed to be looking after corruption as the SG in the department doesn’t care.”
Insiders said MEC Mahlubandile Qwase was aware of the situation but had failed to address it. “This is happening under his own nose. He knows about this. Millions of rands will vanish if Ngonzo remains in these expensive hotels,” said one official.
SA Democratic Teachers’ Union’s Mxolisi Dimaza said they were aware of the vacant positions currently being filled in an acting capacity by Ngonzo. “We know quite well what is happening and we’ve proposed to the MEC to quickly come up with a plan of employing people in those positions,” he said.
Everything paid for Ngonzo
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
0 comments:
Post a Comment