DA demands full breakdown costs of Mabuza’s trip to Russia

The Democratic Alliance on Sunday said it will submit a Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) application to demand a breakdown of the costs of Deputy President David Mabuza’s trips to Russia.

DA shadow minister Solly Malatsi said now that Mabuza is back and in good health, “he and his office should provide transparency on the details of the trip.”

Breakdown of Mabuza’s trips

The DA is questioning the deputy president statement in which he claimed to have paid for the trips himself, therefore, the party is now requesting “receipts and proof” for the trips.

“In the interest of openness and transparency, the deputy president must provide receipts and proof that he paid out of his own pocket for this trip.”

Malatsi said the Democratic Alliance won’t just “merely take” the deputy president word for it, “given the ANC government’s love for luxury on the taxpayer’s account. Malatsi said Mabuza is entitled to his privacy, however, the cost “is very much the public’s concern”.

“If there is nothing to hide, the deputy president would share the details of his trip without hesitation. The public should know […] whether it has been on the account of the taxpayer”.

Mabuza’s trips to Russia

Malatsi also questioned Mabuza’s previous trips to Russia in 2015 and 2018, saying there has “been very little transparency over the years”.

• In 2015, Mabuza travelled to Russia for medical treatment after he was allegedly poisoned
• Mabuza also travelled to Russia in 2018, again for medical treatment

In 2018, Mabuza at a National Council of Provinces for a question-and-answer session said he was “too ill to recall” who accompanied him on the trip. He said he was “on very high pain medication.”

Mabuza ‘prefers Russian docters’

At the time, Mabuza claimed to have been poisoned and former President Jacob Zuma’s son Duduzane offered to take him to a Russian state hospital aboard a Gupta jet.

He said he prefers treatment from Russian doctors as “they’ve got medical history of my illness, so it’s only appropriate to go to people who know what went wrong with my body. This does not mean that I don’t have confidence in our facilities.”

NOW READ: Mabuza explains why he prefers to be treated by Russian doctors

Seeking ‘their own interests’

Earlier this week, political analyst Professor Lesiba Teffo said Mabuza’s visit to Russia does not instil confidence in South Africa’s healthcare system.

He said it’s a “very serious indictment” to seek medical assistance elsewhere. Speaking to The Citizen on Tuesday, Teffo said African leaders instead “go out of their way to avoid investing […] in their own countries”.

He said they sometimes seek assistance elsewhere “to serve their own interests, knowing that they can use state resources to go and seek that kind of medical help elsewhere”.