Tourism Minister’s R150 000 date with Somizi Mhlongo-Motaung was a vanity show

Minister of Tourism Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane has, in response to a parliamentary question by the Democratic Alliance (DA), confirmed that her department spent R150 000 on the controversial cook-off with celebrity Somizi Mhlongo-Motaung ahead of her budget debate.

This expenditure was completely unnecessary, wasteful, and does nothing to help the tourism industry get back on its feet after the government-lead lockdown. Instead, what it does is promote the Minister and her public profile at the taxpayer’s cost.

The Minister’s response to our parliamentary question confirms that she does not understand the deep anger of society toward her vanity project.

Minister Kubayi-Ngubane should focus on helping tourism businesses get back to profitability. She could have used the R150 000 to help over 100 accommodation businesses benefit from free grading, or perhaps even helped clear the rates charges of various businesses struggling because they couldn’t operate for months. The truth is, there are various ways the Minister can help businesses reduce their costs and burdens so that they stay open and do not lay off workers.

Minister Kubayi-Ngubane has to focus on the things that build our tourism sector at this critical moment. With her latest appointment as the acting Health Minister, tourism cannot afford both a part-time minister as well as one with poor judgement regarding spending priorities.

If the Minister was serious about the tourism sector and its recovery, she would have declined the President’s request to step in as acting Health Minister and focused on actually getting the tourism industry going again.

Local Government Elections are coming up in 2021! Visit check.da.org.za to check your voter registration status.