Endless inquiries drain us of R300m

28 July 2014 - 02:01 By Aphiwe Deklerk
subscribe Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package.
Subscribe now
Mxolisi Nxasana. File photo
Mxolisi Nxasana. File photo
Image: Sunday Times

South African taxpayers are forking out about R280-million for commissions of inquiry set up by the government to investigate sensitive political matters or tragedies.

There are five commissions currently on the go. A sixth, to determine national director of public prosecutions Mxolisi Nxasana's fitness to hold office, is on the cards.

This could see the total cost top R300-million.

The Marikana and the arms deal commissions have cost R266-million so far. The Department of Justice said the Seriti arms deal inquiry had already spent R63-million, while R59-million had been budgeted for this year.

Judge Ian Farlam's inquiry into the 2012 Marikana massacre has spent R100-million so far, with a further R44-million set aside. The Khayelitsha commission of inquiry set up by Western Cape premier Helen Zille into police inefficiency will cost R11-million, while Human Settlements Minister Lindiwe Sisulu's inquiry into the Lwandle evictions has a budget of R4-million.

The Department of Labour's inquiry into the collapse of the Tongaat Mall in KwaZulu-Natal, has a R2-million budget.

At R90000 for each RDP house, the R280-million spent so far could have built 3 100 of them. In the past 14 years, at least 10 commissions of inquiry have probed tragedies and controversial issues.

Political analyst Anthony Butler said the commissions were used by the government to control public opinion and buy time: "If they set up an inquiry, the public is satisfied that something is being done, but then, four, five, six months later, sometimes two years later, when a report comes out, there is no public interest."

Analyst Mcebisi Ndletyana agreed with Butler: "Some of them become unnecessary. You wonder why they were set up, only for the recommendations not to be followed."

subscribe Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package.
Subscribe now