Lavish Hotel Stays Over State Housing: Misuse of Public Funds by Correctional Services Acting Commissioner

Over a span of three years, acting Eastern Cape Correctional Services commissioner Lucky Mthethwa has stirred controversy by running up a hotel tab exceeding R1.4 million, despite having access to adequately renovated state housing. This expenditure raises serious questions about the Department of Correctional Services' fiscal responsibility and adherence to public service policies.

Set against the picturesque backdrop of East London's coastline, the ICC Premier Hotel has been home to Mthethwa at a daily cost of R1,440 – a sum funded by the taxpayers that has aggregated to R1,445,760. This lavish spending stands in glaring contrast to a state house at his disposal, recently upgraded with R1 million in renovations including high-end security systems and aesthetic improvements.

The prolonged stay at the hotel goes beyond financial imprudence; it potentially breaches public service regulations. This policy mandates a cap of six months on acting appointments, yet Mthethwa has extended his tenure since May 2021. His primary role is the chief of security at the national department in Pretoria, responsible for safeguarding the nation's 243 prisons. On top of his R1.4 million annual salary, Mthethwa collects around R400,000 for acting as a commissioner.

Since Nkosinathi Breakfast's retirement in 2018, the post of permanent commissioner overseeing the province’s 45 prisons and 20,000 inmates has remained elusive. Following a cycle of temporary appointments disrupted by recalls to Pretoria, Mthethwa—already the third acting commissioner since Breakfast’s deputy Noziphiwo Dumbela—assumed the role.

Mthethwa's predecessor, Phiko Mbambo, chose to reside in the now-renovated state house, prompting confusion at the Department of Correctional Services’ decision to fund hotel accommodation instead. Popcru, the Police, Prisons, and Civil Rights Union, is vocally condemning the misuse of public funds and is recommending that department officials face Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Justice and Correctional Services.

Despite the controversy, the Department of Correctional Services underlines Mthethwa’s arrangement as cost-effective and temporary, asserting that the state house was designed for permanent officials who would bring their own furniture. However, this rationale fails to hold water against the prohibitive hotel expenses already incurred.

Department spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo defended Mthethwa's tenure, citing an extension by the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services through executive powers, despite the limitations stated in the Public Service Regulations.

Amid allegations of wasteful expenditure and non-compliance with public service policies, the case renews the emphasis on transparency and accountability within South African government bodies.