Government's "wasteful expenditure" currently stands at R326-million due to officials buying luxury vehicles and the hosting of lavish parties, the Democratic Alliance said on Sunday.

"The R7.7-million increase is the result of money having been spent purely on unnecessary luxuries. The ANC government's insistence on throwing parties at the drop of a hat is costing the South African taxpayer millions of rands," said spokesperson Lindiwe Mazibuko.

Mazibuko said the DA's "Wasteful Expenditure Monitor" indicates that numerous departments have splashed out a total of R2 575 279 on unnecessary budget vote parties.

The Energy department was the highest at R412 077.

"This lavish spending by the ANC-led government shows no sign of abating, as President Jacob Zuma publicly calls for financial austerity but repeatedly fails to act on those who don't listen to him," said Mazibuko.

Meanwhile, DA spokesperson on finance Dion George said the R589-million spent on Zuma's larger cabinet could have been used to build houses for people.

"The R589-million could have built more than 10 000 RDP [Reconstruction and Development Programme] homes (at R54 000 per unit). That would represent a real and tangible impact on the lives of thousands of ordinary South Africans," said George.

He called the establishment of new government departments and the appointment of additional ministers and deputy ministers a "political exercise to appease the various factions within the ANC with 'perks and privileges of executive office'.

"Whether these new ministries will be able to have an equivalent impact is difficult to measure, but if precedent is any indication they will not," he said.

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