The Star newspaper reported today that in a written reply to a parliamentary question from the Democratic Alliance, Mbalula said he had taken 240 flights, including 16 international flights, since April 1 2010, costing R1,539,196, according to the newspaper.

In the same period, Oosthuizen had spent R1.1 million on 105 flights, including 29 international flights.

This was 186 more flights than both the international relations minister and two deputy international relations ministers took combined, for the same period.

After Madonsela received a request to investigate the expenditure from DA sports spokesman Winston Rabotapi in March, the public protector announced in July that the allegations warranted an investigation.

Madonsela has since assigned an investigator to the case, and the preliminary investigations had begun, Madonsela's spokeswoman Kgalalelo Masibi told the newspaper.