Credit card use was for Gauteng business: Mokonyane

Gauteng premier Nomvula Mokonyane said she used her government credit card to attract business to the province, The Star reported on Wednesday.

She had been given a monthly spending limit of R100,000 on the credit card, totalling R1.2 million a year, but only spent R26,453 last year, she said in a written response to the Speaker of the provincial legislature. She was replying to a question from the Democratic Alliance. In 2011 she spent R57,000.

"These are the amounts I used, instead of R2.4 million. I've spent less than R100,000 between 2011 and 2012. Most of the monies spent were on business lunches and meeting with people who wanted to invest in Gauteng."

Mokonyane said she also used the card on trips while hosting people abroad.

"In most cases, it was during meetings while trying to lobby our international hosts to make Gauteng their preferred destination," the premier said.