BDFM News Online
Monday, December 11, 2006
IN AN apparent defence of Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka's R4,55m flight to the UK, President Thabo Mbeki said yesterday those found responsible for the travel arrangements should account for any wrongdoing, SABC reported.
On Saturday Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota announced that he would appoint an independent board of inquiry into the hiring of a private jet to transport Mlambo-Ngcuka to Britain.
This was "irregular and way out of proportion with reasonable standards", Lekota said.
The plane was hired by someone in the defence department without authorisation of the ministry, the secretary for defence or the acting chief of the South African National Defence Force.
Lekota said he would set up a board of inquiry, chaired by someone outside the department, to look into the matter. He said the Presidency could not be blamed for hiring the plane.
Welcoming a media report on the matter, Lekota said it would probably not have come to his attention otherwise. Beeld reported that a plane had to be flown from Switzerland to take Mlambo-Ngcuka and her entourage to the UK because there were not enough pilots in SA trained to fly the air force's presidential jets. After her return to SA, the plane would have to be flown back to Switzerland.
The Freedom Front Plus (FF+) and Democratic Alliance (DA) have welcomed Lekota's announcement of an inquiry.
FF+ defence spokesman Pieter Groenewald blamed the pilot shortage on affirmative action and transformation policies.
"Earlier this year ... it became known that the three top students in training who happened to be white were not allowed to proceed with further training as fighter pilots because of the defence force's affirmative action requirements," he said. Lekota had assured the FF+ last year that there were three pilots qualified to fly presidential jets and a further 12 in training.
DA spokesman Motlatjo Thetjeng said Mlambo-Ngcuka could not be absolved of all blame and had to take "political responsibility" for the cost of the flight.
"While she may not be contravening the law or any regulations, the fact is that her good judgment should tell her that conspicuous expenditure to this extent in a country with millions of poor people is really not acceptable."
He drew attention to her "shopping holiday" to Dubai last December, which cost the taxpayer R700000, and a R75000 flight to Sun City from Pretoria. Public protector Lawrence Mushwana cleared Mlambo-Ngcuka of any wrongdoing regarding her Dubai trip. Sapa