Macpherson says R186 150 hotel stay was cheaper than official residence

Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson.

Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson has again defended the nearly R200 000 expenditure by the department on his use of hotel accommodation in Gauteng, saying it was “considerably more cost-effective” than renting a ministerial residence.

This came after MK Party MP Zelna Abader asked Macpherson whether it was ethical, justifiable, and consistent with the constitutional principles of accountable, transparent, and prudent governance to spend taxpayers’ money on hotel accommodation.

In July this year, the minister revealed in a parliamentary response to ATM MP Vuyo Zungula that his accommodation cost in Gauteng amounted to R186,150 for 65 nights between July 3, 2024 and June 20, 2026.

Macpherson had explained the hotel accommodation on lack of accommodation in Pretoria for the then newly-constituted executive under the Government of National Unity.

“If I were to obtain a ministerial house in Pretoria, the department would have been required to go to market to either buy or rent a property,” he said at the time, adding that there would have been additional costs such as security installations, SAPS officers, household aides, and maintenance for a fully furnished home.

However, Abader asked what public benefit was derived from the expenditure, the total number of hotel stays that were paid for, the details of the hotel stays, and whether there was independent assessment confirming that the expenditure resulted in savings to the State.

She also wanted to know whether he would furnish invoices, approvals, cost analyses and supporting documentation relating to the expenditure and the alleged savings.

In his response, Macpherson said he had explained in detail that his travel to Gauteng was considerably more cost-effective through the use of alternative accommodation than it would be for the department to rent or purchase a dedicated residence.

“This circumstance has arisen as a direct consequence of the expansion of the executive. It would neither be prudent nor financially responsible for the department to acquire additional residential assets on the assumption that the size of the Executive may increase from time to time.”

Macpherson also said it was strange for an opposition MP to advocate for the spending of upwards of R5 million on ministerial accommodation. 

“I advocate for the exact opposite. I am perplexed as to why the member would prefer the department to spend millions on purchasing additional houses or tens of thousands a month to lease property. This is not to mention the costs associated with maintenance, staff costs, and police costs, which include police officers guarding houses over fighting crime in communities.”

Macpherson said his department was spending significantly on maintaining and operating the parliamentary villages, where it pays R6.4m in municipal utility charges to the City of Cape Town between June 2024 and August 2026.

The department had incurred R11.2m on maintenance, R11.2m on municipal charges, and R899 325 on the transportation of 352 MPs and learners between April and August 2026.

The minister explained that the department had incurred expenditure in excess of R23m to maintain the parliamentary villages over a period of approximately five months.

“If we were to extrapolate that figure over two years, it would be close to a quarter of a billion rand having been spent since June 2024.

“These figures demonstrate the substantial costs already borne by the department in providing accommodation-related services and place the comparatively limited expenditure of my accommodation into its proper context, but also raise an important question on the costs associated with accommodation in general and whether it is not incumbent on all of us to find more cost-effective alternatives.”

Macpherson added that the matter raised questions about the rationale behind expecting the State to maintain such accommodation. 

“I have long supported calls by Members of Parliament to rather seek cheaper forms of accommodation, including that of a housing allowance, which frees the state from the burden of municipal charges, maintenance costs, and diverting policing resources from fighting crime.”