Statement issued by Minister of Housing Lindiwe Sisulu on 10 October 2007

DA "RESEARCH" INTO GOVERNMENT SPENDING FABRICATED AND IRRESPONSIBLE

In a recent “research” document the Democratic Alliance claimed that the Department of Housing had increased accommodation and travel expenditure by 153%.

The DA's claim was so outrageous that the Minister of Housing requested the Director-General of Housing to investigate. This investigation has concluded that the DA’s research was so flawed that its publication bordered on criminal negligence.

The truth is that the Department increased its travel and accommodation expenditure by 8% between the 2005/2006 and 2006/2007 financial years.

BACKGROUND

In response to parliamentary question, number 1464 of 2006, on travel and accommodation expenditure for 2005/06 the Minister of Housing responded on 8 December 2006 that the information required was not readily available. But the Minister was able to provide more up-to-date information covering a six-month period of the 2006/07 financial year.

What the DA chose to do, however, was reflect the figures given for the first six months of 2006/07 as the total expenditure for 2005/06.

This was a deliberate manipulation. The DA was aware that we did not provide figures for 2005/06 because on 14 September 2007 it again requested this information from the Minister in parliamentary question 1462 of 2007.

The DA not only distorted its research outcomes, but also caused them to be widely published. The party announced that the Department of Housing had shown the greatest percentage increase in spending of 19 departments surveyed. The “research” was given pride of place on the DA’s website. This was what effective opposition was about, it said.

The DA has the right to ask questions in Parliament, but it has an even greater responsibility to report accurately to the public.

CONCLUSION

Thee DA’s distortion of the facts is severely damaging to the reputation and integrity of the Department of Housing and the Ministry. We have no reason to believe the falsification was not intended as a slur.

The DA is requested to publicly withdraw its so-called research and publish a correction of the facts in a national newspaper. It is also requested to tender a written apology to the Ministry and Department of Housing.

The Ministry of Housing will further seek advice from the Speaker of Parliament and the Chief State Law Adviser on steps that may be taken to censure the DA in this instance, and dissuade parliamentarians from publishing deliberate falsehoods in future.

For further information please call Monwabisi Maclean on 082 8822 692.

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