of a plane for the Deputy President's flight
9 December 2006
The Defence Minister, Honourable Mosioua Lekota, says the Department of
Defence is solely responsible for the air transport of the Presidency.
He was reacting to a weekend newspaper report that an amount of R3 millon
had been spent in hiring a plane for the Deputy President. Minister Lekota
confirmed that a plane had been hired by a person or persons in the Department
of Defence at a cost of R4.55m without authorisation by either the Ministry,
the Secretary for Defence or the Acting Chief of the South African National
Defence Force. This was done in spite of the extraordinary cost associated with
the hiring of the plane.
âConsequently, I have decided that a Board of Inquiry, chaired by someone
from outside the department, preferably a senior advocate, should be set up in
order to systematically review the situation and present a report so that I can
act on the matter,â the Minister said.
He emphasised the fact that the Presidency had absolutely no culpability in
the hiring of the plane. âTherefore any attempt to suggest that either the
staff of the Presidency or the Deputy President herself is to blame, must be
rejected with the contempt it deserved,â he said.
He further welcomed whistle blowing by members of the media saying that had
this not happened, he probably would have not known about the cost which is
âirregular and way out of proportion with reasonable standardâ Minister Lekota
concluded.
Enquiries: Mr Sam Mkhwanazi
Cell: 083 628 0858
Issued by: Department of Defence
9 December 2006
