Macpherson says R186,150 hotel bill saved department about R1.3m

Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson told Parliament that R186,150 paid for his hotel accommodation in Gauteng over two years represented a cost-saving for the department. The payment covered 65 nights between 3 July 2024 and 20 June 2026, and Macpherson said it saved the department about R1.3 million compared with traditional accommodation options.

How the minister framed the costs

Macpherson was responding to parliamentary questions from ATM MP Vuyo Zungula. He confirmed that taxpayers funded the R186,150 in accommodation costs and contrasted that figure with alternatives, saying the department would have spent about R1.5 million had it rented a ministerial residence, inclusive of household aide costs.

“Had the department purchased a ministerial residence, the total costs for security installations, staffing, furnishing, and usage would have exceeded R5 million at the very least.

Macpherson argued that purchasing or renting a house for only 65 nights over two years would be unjustifiable. He gave a market range for fully furnished rental properties in Pretoria of R50,000 to R60,000 per month, and estimated buying in the Waterkloof area would cost between R4 million and R5 million, excluding furniture.

Security and staffing considerations

The minister said his hotel option removed the need to station a South African Police Service officer at the accommodation, freeing constrained police resources for other duties.

“Additionally, the fact that I have made use of this option means that there has been no need to station a SAPS officer at the accommodation, allowing constrained police resources to be better allocated elsewhere in the fight against crime.”

Macpherson also noted departmental costs associated with maintaining ministerial properties. He stated that the cost of maintaining 42 properties in Pretoria totalled R5.1 million between April and June this year, with a breakdown that included:

• R2.6 million in scheduled maintenance
• R1.1 million in unscheduled maintenance
• R561,963 in rates
• R380,422 in water
• R109,472 in sanitation
• R65,463 in refuse removal
• R263,430 in electricity

He said this worked out to an average running cost of R40,573.10 per property per month for the specified period, excluding security and house staff costs. Macpherson said employing a house staff member would cost between R15,000 and R18,000 per month.

Choice and context

Explaining his decision, Macpherson said he faced limited executive housing availability in Pretoria when he took office and that buying or renting would have required the department to go to market. He said he sought to keep his Gauteng stays as short as possible to avoid further expense.

“I therefore had to make a choice: either incur millions of rand in unnecessary costs to accommodate myself for 2.7 nights per month in rented or bought property, or seek a more cost-effective alternative. This is exactly what I did.”

The article notes that Macpherson was cleared by the Public Protector earlier this year of breaching the Executive Code of Ethics.

Comparison with other departments

The piece also reported accommodation spending in another department: Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment spent R301,979 on accommodation for former ministers Dion George and Willie Aucamp from 3 July 2024. That total comprised R219,465 for George and R82,414 for Aucamp during the two-year period.

What was asked in Parliament

MP Vuyo Zungula had asked for the total amount spent on accommodation for Macpherson in Gauteng from the date he took ministerial office, 3 July 2024, prompting the minister’s detailed response.