The late Roy Padayachie, former communications minister, spent more than R370 000 in four months on hired vehicles during his time as head of the Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA), despite having an official vehicle.
In response to a question in Parliament by the Democratic Alliance's Patricia Kopane, public service and administration minister Lindiwe Sisulu said yesterday that Padayachie used hired vehicles on 13 occasions, from January 2012 till 30 April 2012, clocking up 14 199km.
"Vehicles had to be hired during the reporting period because the former minister had to execute his official responsibilities outside the seat of office, ie, Cape Town or Pretoria," said Sisulu. "Vehicles were also hired when the official vehicle went for a service or had a breakdown."
Sisulu declined to answer Kopane's question as to the make, model and year of the hired vehicles used.
Padayachie came under fire for his car hire expenses in 2011 when then public service and administration minister Richard Baloyi revealed he had racked up R1.2 million in vehicle hire costs from March to October 2010 in his duties as DPSA deputy minister. This was reportedly due to Padayachie having had to leave his official vehicle at the Department of Communications and not immediately being able to purchase another.
Padayachie was appointed to head up the DPSA in October 2011, after holding the post of minister of communications since November 2010. He died in May 2012, during a state visit to Ethiopia.
He seems to be the front runner in vehicle hire costs, revealed Sisulu, with deputy public service and administration minister Ayanda Dlodlo spending R211 198.50 on hired cars in 18 months and Sisulu spending R140 591.97 over a period of a year.
Kopane could not comment by time of publication as she had not yet seen Sisulu's response.