Mentor's China trip causes stir

Outspoken ANC MP and chairman of the public enterprises portfolio committee Vytjie Mentor is in hot water after turning up at President Jacob Zuma's state visit to China in August and getting Transnet to fork out R150000 for the trip.

The Sunday Times has established that the minister of public enterprises, Barbara Hogan, reported Mentor to the speaker of the national assembly, Max Sisulu, and to the ANC's chief whip, Mathole Motshekga, after acting Transnet CEO Chris Wells informed Hogan that Mentor had approached them to fund the trip.

Transnet spokesman Mboniso Sigonyela said Mentor had approached them on the eve of Zuma's visit to China requesting financial assistance to cover her travel costs.

Sigonyela said Mentor's request was approved at executive level and that Transnet believed her participation "would aid her understanding of the role of state-owned enterprises in the Chinese economy".

Mentor confirmed on Friday that she was in China when Zuma undertook the visit, and that "one of the state-owned enterprises" had covered the costs of her trip. She said she was invited by the Department of Trade and Industry to be part of the business delegation that accompanies Zuma on state visits.

"I've been to China several times and I will still go to China on work-related matters ... I went to China as part of the business delegation by virtue of being the chairman of public enterprises committee," she said. But Department of Trade and Industry spokesman Sidwell Medupi said they invited only business people and associations to accompany Zuma on state visits. Presidential spokesman Zizi Kodwa said Mentor had not been invited.

It has been established from several sources that Wells reported the matter to Hogan, who has since written a letter of complaint to Sisulu and the ANC chief whip's office.

Hogan's office refused to confirm or deny that she had complained about Mentor's conduct. Ministerial spokesman Richard Mantu said: "The minister is not in a position to comment on the conduct of MPs and your request should be addressed to parliament."

Motshekga referred all queries to the speaker's office.

Sources say Mentor will now have to explain her approach to Transnet and her failure to obtain approval to undertake an international trip as required by parliamentary rules.