Parliament’s Standing Committee on Appropriations has formally written to Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana requesting a full G20 cost breakdown following South Africa’s hosting of the G20 Leaders’ Summit. The committee says the detailed figures are necessary to uphold constitutional obligations around monitoring public spending and ensuring transparency in major national events.

Committee chairperson Mmusi Maimane emphasised that oversight of state expenditure is central to the committee’s mandate, particularly when dealing with high-profile international engagements. The summit, which concluded yesterday with a joint declaration affirming global commitment to multilateral co-operation, required substantial logistical and operational planning by the host country.

Maimane noted that South Africa has previously faced criticism for inflated procurement costs associated with large events. For this reason, the committee expects government departments to provide accurate and consistent financial information. He highlighted earlier discussions in which government suggested that approximately R500 million to R600 million had been allocated for summit-related expenses. The committee now wants confirmation on whether spending remained within that approved range.

According to Maimane, transparency on the ramaphosa/">G20 cost breakdown is not merely a procedural issue but a matter of safeguarding the credibility of public budgeting. He warned that large discrepancies between projected and actual spending risk undermining fiscal discipline. “The last place you want to be as a budgeting process is to pronounce that you are going to spend R600 million on something and then later you come back and say it was over a billion rand,” he said.

The committee has asked Minister Godongwana to provide a full and itemised G20 cost breakdown, including procurement details, departmental responsibilities and any unforeseen expenditures that arose during the course of the summit preparations. Members argue that such disclosure is essential for public accountability and can help prevent excessive spending in future international events hosted by South Africa.

As the government awaits the minister’s formal response, the Appropriations Committee has reiterated its intention to ensure that fiscal commitments made in Parliament remain both credible and measurable.

Dr. Mmusi Maimane: Parliament Queries G20 Summit Costs to Ensure Responsible Use of Public Funds