An experience of wealth

A story in a Sunday paper revealed how Sizakele Magangoe, heralded by the government as "South Africa's top social worker", had spent over R1 million of our money on a trip to New York earlier this year.

- Ben Trovato

My first thought was that this was a typo. Surely she had squandered a billion?

I could easily blow a million on a quiet weekend in Umhlanga. Perhaps they meant a million dollars? That would make more sense. But, no. It was a paltry million randelas. I keep that in loose change just for the car guards.

I expect the only reason our deputy director-general for welfare services might have been mortified to find herself on the front page was because of the shamefully modest amount she had spent.

Her ANC compadres must be so embarrassed. Two weeks in New York and all she blew was the equivalent of $56,000? Haibo. We must take this one aside and speak to her. Teach her the ways.

To be fair, though, she'd only been in the position for a week.

Just before Magangoe got the job, a departmental newsletter said her appointment "underscores the government's dedication to... ensuring a more people-centred approach to service delivery". As opposed, presumably, to the traditional approach of hoovering up any stray bits of budget and squirrelling them away in offshore bank accounts.

They also mentioned her "wealth of experience" but I expect they meant experience of wealth.