Deputy President Paul Mashatile is facing fierce public backlash after revelations that he spent R2.3 million in public funds on a four-day trip to Japan in March 2025—accompanied by his wife, Humile Mashatile. The trip’s staggering costs, including nearly R1 million on luxury accommodation alone, have sparked outrage as South Africans grapple with deepening economic hardship.
The official purpose of the visit was to strengthen trade and diplomatic ties, with Mashatile citing high-level engagements with Japanese business leaders and acknowledging Japan’s status as South Africa’s fourth-largest trading partner. But that hasn’t silenced critics, especially after reports revealed the couple’s accommodation bill alone hit R956,057—averaging R239,000 per night, well beyond the cost of Japan’s most elite hotels.
This trip is just the latest in a troubling pattern of extravagant international travel. Since July 2024, Mashatile’s office has spent a reported R7.9 million on four overseas trips, including a R5.5 million visit to Ireland and the UK.
ActionSA MP Lerato Ngobeni has led calls for an urgent audit of all executive travel and stricter regulation of expenses, calling the Japan visit “a slap in the face to struggling South Africans.” On social media, frustration has boiled over, with citizens questioning not just the price tag but the necessity of the deputy president’s wife joining at public expense.
While Mashatile has defended the trip’s strategic importance, his office has remained silent on the controversial accommodation costs—only fueling demands for transparency, accountability, and a serious rethink of how public funds are being spent at the highest levels of government.
