David Mabuza’s bodyguards spend R10 million in Mpumalanga hotel

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David Mabuza's bodyguards spend R10 million in Mpumalanga hotel
RAKING IT UP: Deputy president David Mabuza has reportedly had his bodyguards stay at the eMnotweni Sun hotel throughout the lockdown period at serious expense to the taxpayer. PICTURE BY 013NEWS/ZK

The amount is calculated from August 2018…


Deputy president David Mabuza’s bodyguards have reportedly forced taxpayers to foot a bill of R10 million for their stay at the Southern Sun Emnotweni hotel in Mpumalanga over the past two years.

According to the Sunday World, around 25% of this money was allegedly incurred in Mabuza’s absence.

The bodyguards, who are believed to be 12 in number, mostly from Gauteng, have been booked at the hotel in Mbombela at a daily rate of R1 200 per room since August 2018.

Hotel sources said the bodyguards have been living in the hotel even after President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the lockdown towards end of March 2020. 

The price was negotiated from R1 800 per room daily to R1 200. 

According to information received, the bodyguards forced the hotel to remain open even after President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the lockdown in March.

A hotel worker quoted in the national weekly said the hotel had only 15 guests throughout the lockdown period and 12 of them were Mabuza’s bodyguards. 

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“We were only informed that we can’t close because we have to service the bodyguards as they are our long-term guests,” the source is quoted saying. 

“They have been staying at the hotel for the past two years,” the employee said.

Hotel spokeswoman Neo Mboniswa confirmed that the hotel stayed open during lockdown to service essential service workers, but declined to say if they were bodyguards of the deputy president.

“All guest information is strictly private and confidential and may not be distributed or shared externally,” Mboniswa said.

Calculations show that R 5.3 million was spent at the hotel in the year 2019 alone. 

Since the beginning of this year, at least R3.1 million has been spent for the bodyguards’s stay at the hotel – which brings it to R10 million when putting together the remaining months of 2018 from August.

Mabuza’s spokeswoman Matshepo Seedat said the national police answer questions about bodyguards, not Mabuza’s office.

Police spokesman Vish Naidoo said: “For security reasons, I am not at liberty to provide any information on the matters pertaining to the deputy president’s protectors”.

(edited by ZK)

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