2012 Government Spend on Entertainment – Update: 3 Departments; R236 000

by The Editor


FEATURE: It is annual report season and that means, among other important indicators, it is possible to gauge how national departments have spent public money over the course of the last financial year. Earlier this year, I set out how much the ANC government was spending on entertainment – just under R50 millionin 2011 – and, as the new 2012 reports are tabled, I shall keep a running total of how much is spent this time around. Here follows the first such update, with three departments having tabled their reports [with GRAPHIC and PDF table at end].

2012 Government Spend on Entertainment – Update: 3 Departments; R236 000

By: Gareth van Onselen


5 September 2012

In April this year, I set out how much national government departments were spending on ‘entertainment’.

For the 2010/2011 financial year, between 33 departments, the total was R46 295 000, up R15 366 000 or 33% from the previous 2009/2010 financial year, when the figure was R30 929 000.

In 2009/2010 the average spend per department was R937 242. In 2010/2011, it jumped to R1 780 576.

(In a newspaper story on the previous story, Beeld created this graphic for the totals, which demonstrates the proportional 2011 spending by department quite well.)

The 2011/2012 annual reports are busy being tabled and, over the next couple of months, we will be able to see how much the ANC in national government has spent on entertainment this time round and how it relates to inflation. Using a general inflation rate of 5%, if the 2012 total increases by more than R2 314 750, it will have exceeded inflation.

In other words, if the grand total when every department has tabled their report is more than R48 609 750, there would have to be a reason other than inflation to justify the increase.

To see the Treasury definition of what constitutes ‘entertainment’, read the previous post, as well as for some background and context to the previous set of figures.

As the 2012 annual reports are tabled, I shall keep a running total on Inside Politics. When all the departments have tabled, I shall do a full analysis.

To date, three departments have tabled their annual reports: The Departments of Environmental Affairs, The Department of Tourism and the Department of Cooperative Governance.

Two increased entertainment spend by more than inflation in 2012; one decreased their marginal spend in 2011 down to zero in 2012.

With regards to the 3 having already tabled, the total is already R224 000 more than it was between them last year.

All three departments were marginal spenders in 2011, and some of the biggest spenders – Police, Defence, International Relations – have yet to table their reports. The 2012 spend of such departments will be defining when it comes to the total figure.

Here is the table I shall use to keep you updated.

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