Legal or not?
Legal or not?
Professor Pierre de Vos, constitutional law expert and member of the Faculty’s Public Law Department, tackles the fact that it remains legal for a Minister to take his or her spouse on official international trips at state expense.
Prof de Vos penned an opinion in this regard on Daily Maverick on 29 May 2018.
“Earlier this week it was reported that the Presidency is reviewing the practice of some Cabinet ministers of taking their spouses and/or adult family members with them on official international trips.This practice is currently allowed by the Ministerial Handbook, which has not been amended since it was adopted in 2007 – despite several promises over the years that it would be amended to curtail costs. Revelations that former finance minister and current Minister of Home Affairs, Malusi Gigaba, spent R873,366.68 of taxpayers’ money on taking his wife to investor roadshows to China, the UK and the US, raised some eyebrows. But this was perfectly legal as the Ministerial Handbook allows a minister to take his or her spouse on official international trips at state expense."