Mr Chairperson, the fact is that Minister Xingwane's department has overspent its budget by more than R9 million as a result of overseas travel. For a UN conference in New York for example, delegates flew business class at a cost of R81 000 per person, stayed at the Ritz Hotel in Central Park at R5 000 a night. Several officials skipped important conference sessions, yet 40% of deaf children whose lives could be transformed by Cochlear technology do not receive implants due to a lack of funds, which is the work the Minister should be doing. Mr Chairman, how does the Minister justify her frivolous spending while this money could have given deaf children the gift of hearing?
The MINISTER OF WOMEN, YOUTH, and CHILDREN AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES: Chairperson, first of all, I am neither the Minister of Health nor a doctor. I am therefore, not in a position to give anyone the gift of whatever operation.
Secondly, regarding the report of R9 million, I never even spent a million on the UN conference. The report of R9 million comes from the session of 2010. Your member, hon Robinson, was part of that session I was not part of that session. She flew business class to New York and she stayed in high class hotel in New York. Must I stay under a tree? Must I fly by broom to New York to go and account on behalf of South Africa? South Africa is a UN signatory of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Children. I also flew to New York in September to report to the UN convention on the rights of persons with disabilities. I did not sleep under a bridge, I slept in a similar hotel that the hon DA member slept in when they went to New York. I flew business class for my health and I cannot fly "lala" (low) class as the hon member of DA did not fly lala class in her 18 hours fly to New York. Thank you, Chairperson. [Interjections.]