One government department’s “consumables” expenditure increased by over 2000 percent

Remember Des van Rooyen? He of Finance Minister for a weekend fame?

Well, now that he’s no longer doing that, Van Rooyen is in charge of The Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA). Although, saying in charge might be kind since the department’s expenditure has absolutely ballooned under his watch.

Democratic Alliance MP Kevin Mileham claims that under Van Rooyen’s leadership, the department’s irregular expenditure increased by 184%‚ from R155,375,000 in 2014/15‚ to R442,458,000 in 2015/16. It’s total expenditure increased by almost 15%‚ from just over R59 billion in 2014/15 to just over R68 billion in 2015/16.

What on earth is this department spending money on? According to the DA, this:

• Employee compensation and salaries and wages both went up by respectively 10% and 9%
• Goods and services increased by 44.94%‚ an increase of R763,550,000
• Spending on contractors by 42.89%‚ an increase of R544,498,000
• Agency and support/outsourced services by 1122.94%‚ an increase of R6,805,000
• Spending on consumable supplies by 2581.94% from R4,558,000 in 2014/15 to R122,243 000 in 2015/16

That’s a whole lotta stationary….