Politician spends R5.9 million on an international trip while residents don’t have electricity and water

The Democratic Alliance (DA) is taking action against Morakane Mosupyoe for spending R5.9 million on a trip to Venezuela while service delivery suffers in the province.

This issue followed revelations about the trip of the Speaker of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature (GPL), Mosupyoe, to Venezuela.

Mosupyoe faced public scrutiny and political backlash over a 12-day trip to Venezuela taken by a legislative delegation in late 2025.

Mosupyoe led a 12-member group comprising herself, 4 senior managers, and 7 staff members on the international trip.

The official reason for the trip was to attend the Feria Internacional de Turismo de Venezuela, a 4-day international tourism fair.

The cost for the trip included R3.3 million for flights, R900,000 for accommodation, and R1.5 million in allowances for the delegates.

The leader of the official opposition in Gauteng, Solly Msimanga, said the party will take action against Mosupyoe for wasting taxpayers’ money.

He questioned why the Gauteng provincial legislature sent a delegation to a foreign tourism event when Brand South Africa was already representing the country.

This spending was exacerbated by severe service delivery problems in Gauteng, leaving residents without water and electricity for days.

“The DA in Gauteng will reveal the decisive action taken against the Morakane Mosupyoe for wasting money on the Venezuela trip while service delivery suffers,” Msimanga said.

“R5.9 million spent on this trip to Venezuela shows poor judgment by a Speaker who prioritised personal interests over the needs of Gauteng residents.”

Msimanga said that this trip highlights the arrogance and uncaring leadership under the current Gauteng government.