AfriForum demands transparency about government expenditure for the 2023 BRICS Summit

The civil rights organisation AfriForum requests precise details from the South African government regarding its expenditure for the 2023 BRICS Summit that took place from 22 to 24 August. In its PAIA application to the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) AfriForum asks for a breakdown of summit-related costs, the number and roles of summit personnel, any expenses due to security personnel deployment changes, a list of security measures put in place in Johannesburg and associated venues during the summit, and any additional relevant records or communications related to government expenditure for this summit.

During the summit, the roar of fighter jets was often heard in the skies, even four days after the summit. Traffic officers were deployed at important traffic lights and security personnel were employed to safeguard the proceedings. Loadshedding was eased for the summit, only to be moved to stage 6 thereafter. Urgent attention was paid to address faulty traffic lights, cleanliness of streets and building maintenance. While these measures are expected daily and were implemented for the summit, the government falls short in ensuring consistent service delivery on these matters beyond events where international leaders are in attendance.

“Given the government’s less than stellar record of misallocation of funds and corrupt tenders, and the evidently considerable financial allocations made for this summit, these details should be available to the public for inspection. This is particularly important when one considers the government’s limited resources to address issues like crime, loadshedding and road maintenance across South Africa as a whole,” says Charné Mostert, Campaign Officer at AfriForum.

“AfriForum remains steadfast in its commitment to championing the principles of transparency, accountability, and fiscal responsibility within the sphere of public governance. In line with this dedication, we want to ensure that all expenditures on the recent BRICS Summit organised by the South African government, were above board and properly allocated. The public has a right to know how the government allocated and spent resources hosting this global summit,” Mostert concludes.