Sanral's Exorbitant Expenditure; Sends 29 Officials to Prague amid Half-utilised Budgets

The South African National Roads Agency (Sanral) has come under fire for spending R3.1 million on an international outing to Prague last month. This extravagance rubs against Treasury regulations, which necessitates international travel be minimalized in a bid to contain costs. The surprise expenditure was disclosed by Sanral, an agency that has been passing the past four consecutive years spending only half of its budget for the maintenance and construction of non-toll roads.

The delegation of 29 officials, led by Sanral, wasn't a standalone act, as the Minister of Transport, Sindisiwe Chikunga, also participated in the conference with her team. Despite repeated attempts for clarity, the department has remained mum on the exact number of the Minister's team members and the entire cost of their trip.

This overwhelming cost on international conferences and travel strikes a stark contrast against Sanral's underutilized road budget - a situation that's been the status quo for the past four years.