Besieged by under-funding, the apparent waste of resources was revealed by Defence and Military Veterans minister Nosiviwe Mapisa- Nqakula in response to parliamentary questions yesterday.

Mapisa-Nqakula revealed that R34-million has been spent between 2009 and 2012 to ferry ministers and deputy ministers around the country.

Many of these flights — by SAAF’s 21 Squadron (VIP squadron), the reserve squadron and chartered aircraft — were empty, as planes had to be transferred from one province to another in order to pick up their passengers.

DA MP David Maynier said since 2009, 700 such ferry flights were performed.

The latest scandal comes months after a multi-billion rand tender for a new presidential aircraft fleet was canned by Mapisa-Nqakula last month, and after the defence force was forced to admit it had spent millions on hiring aircraft to “shadow” President Jacob Zuma’s jet while he was on official business.

The majority of flights are believed to have been flown from Pretoria’s Waterkloof Air Force Base to Ysterplaat Air Force Base in Cape Town to collect ministers.

The expenditure comes as defence analysts call for more hard-hitting questions to be asked on reasons for huge money wasting programmes currently being run by the defence force.

The R34-million spent on “ferry flights” includes more than R7.5 million which was spent on 249 flights with luxury Gulfstream business jets — with no passengers onboard.

“The VIP squadron spent R 13.5 million on ferry flights while the Reserve Force Squadrons spent R11.4 million.

“The air force spent another R9.5 million on chartering flights,” said Maynier.

Mapisa-Nqakula’s reply reveals the presidential jet, Inkwazi was used for 58 ferry flights costing of R4.9 million; luxury Gulfstream business jets were used for 249 ferry flights costing R7.5 million while R4.6 million was spent on two chartered Airbus flights.

The chartered Airbus is suspected to be the aircraft which was used to shadow Zuma.

Maynier put the wastage down to poor planning.

He said the Ministerial Handbook was very clear on the use of military aircraft for transporting VIPs

“Only under exceptional circumstances may such flights be conducted, which is clearly not happening,” he said.

“The exceptional circumstances must be that there are time constraints in reaching destinations by vehicle or commercial flights, the safety of passengers demands such flights, commercial airlines are not cost effective and for health reasons.

Maynier said the circumstances for such flights was also being abused.

“There are too many ministers zooming around the country on military aircraft. Hundreds of millions could be saved for service delivery.”

Maynier said he believed the biggest offender was former defence minister, Lindiwe Sisulu.

“Sisulu refused to provide details on the flights, precisely because she was covering up millions of rands wasted on flying ministers around.”

Military analyst Helmoed Heitman said the figures equated to R8 million a year being spent on such flights.

“What needs to be looked at is the number of flights being undertaken by the reserve squadrons and with chartered flights.

“There is a lot more to this than meets the eye,” he said.”

Comments

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Wed Jun 19 22:10:57 SAST 2013 ::

Aug 22, 2012

thabiso992000

we got Mango, 1time and kulula amongst other things, so i dont understand, since they are cheap, why dont the president and his crew use it, yerrr maan reajewa maan
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Aug 22, 2012

MommaC

..... so they get an allocation of tickets to fly (at our expense) on SAA but they use military planes instead?
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Aug 22, 2012

Lehido

Im no fan of Cassel Mathale oe Angie Motshekga...BUT if people (Citizens & Poo-liticians) can call for their heads to roll, because mess incured under their watch, Zuma must all be griled for all this because it happened under his watch
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Aug 22, 2012

Mbeki_2

How the hell can anyone still vote for the ANC - this is NOT what Madiba and Govan Mbeki went to prison for. They gave everyone FREEDOM - all this lot are giving you is a T-shirt and a vote - while your vote gives them MONEY and you get nothing back.
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Aug 22, 2012

Kaylae

Sowetan from yesterday you are breaking my heart on how this ANC is squandering my money unnecesarily whilst my mother in law is denied pension NXA
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Aug 22, 2012

Kaylae

Lehido
Im no fan of Cassel Mathale oe Angie Motshekga...BUT if people (Citizens & Poo-liticians) can call for their heads to roll, because mess incured under their watch, Zuma must all be griled for all this because it happened under his watch
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Can you believe he still greedy by wanting another term like he is King NXA this is not Zimbabwe where you can govern for eternity.He thinks we are stupid when he uses the term restructuring NXA for what instead of firing these incompetent m0r0ns and himself too
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Aug 22, 2012

TKay

What they know better is to make noise in parliament and shut each other up....shut up nxa....
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Aug 24, 2012

CB045

It goes to show the ANC are only interested in making their lives comfortable, and to hell with the rest. No wonder some staunch members who were thrown out are still waiting at the gates, for a way in!
These high profile individuals who want to show off their status should do so out of their own private funds and not those from the taxpayers. Imagine the untold damage they are causing, and forcing us to pay 'carbon tax' when they are the main culprits. Is it really the motorists causing most of the carbon pollution or government?
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