Mana Party leader Hone Harawira says his trip to South Africa to pay his respects to Nelson Mandela was a success, despite the Prime Minister, John Key, labelling it a "jolly".
Key said the Mana leader should not have billed the taxpayer for the trip to South Africa, and that the official delegation represented the right mix.
Harawira has just returned from his trip to farewell the former South African president and to pay his respects on behalf of all those who have marched against apartheid. The trip was paid for out of the Parliamentary Leader's Fund.
He said that after he was refused a place in that delegation, he applied to the Speaker's Office to get permission to use his leader's budget to attend the tangi as a member of Parliament, and that was approved.
While he did not attend the official funeral, Harawira went to a private service at Nelson Mandela's family home. He said he and his wife Hilda farewelled Mandela on behalf of all Maori and all those involved in the anti-apartheid protests.
