R4bn jet row grows
Emergency briefing told of guarantee of no reckless spending
TAXPAYERS were told yesterday to trust officials, politicians and the defence force over a multibillion-rand plan to acquire a presidential jet. Armscor chief executive Kevin Wakeford would not comment on any projected budget for a jet, but appealed to taxpayers to accept his guarantee that there would be no financial “recklessness” involved in the purchase. And neither Armscor nor the SA Air Force’s top brass would talk about maintenance problems that grounded the VIP fleet of aircraft for four months this year.
The grounding, which affected an aircraft President Jacob Zuma was travelling on, led to the air force spending millions on charters.
Wakeford, former head of the Port Elizabeth Regional Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the SA Chamber of Business, and SAAF chief Lieutenant-General Zimpande Msimang said at a press conference that the persistent VIP fleet-maintenance problems were of no importance.
The conference, at the Waterkloof Air Force base, followed reports that plans were being made to buy a presidential jet for R4-billion. The defence force made the request for Armscor to head the process.
An aviation industry insider said the SAAF’s poorly structured maintenance programme was crippling its fleet of VIP aircraft and forcing it to buy a new aircraft.
“Instead of having a single company to do the maintenance, their [maintenance] programme involves a hodgepodge of suppliers, with one providing wheels, another mechanical lubricants, and a third cleaning the aircraft,” the source said.
“If one of those cannot supply a part, the aircraft goes nowhere very slowly.”
Wakeford rubbished the claimed R4billion price tag as trash.
“We cannot afford that amount. The public must trust me when I say that we will not do anything reckless. I guarantee that.”
Asked what budget was being considered for either leasing or buying an aircraft, Wakeford refused to comment.
Questioned on the R4-billion, he said the price would be determined by options.
“If one leases an aircraft, the money comes from the SAAF’s operational budget. If one buys an aircraft, it comes from the capital budget. If I respond, the bidders will know what our budget is.”
Wakeford said the need for a reliable VIP aircraft was growing as South Africa’s global footprint grew.
“The big driver is our links into the East and Africa. Not only is this about growing trade , but our role in Africa in terms of the African Union, and the crises which we, through that organisation, mediate .”
He said people travelling on VIP aircraft did not sit back and relax, they worked. “This isn’t a toy. It’s a strategic state asset.”
Wakeford’s guarantee came as the Presidency called on Monday for transparency around proposed plans for the new jet.
Wakeford said at the moment all that Armscor was doing was putting out a request for information.
Msimang said over the past few years the availability of the intercontinental aircraft of the air force had been problematic‚ “making it difficult for the air force to fulfil its responsibilities”.
Meanwhile, the DA said yesterday it wanted answers over the controversy by November 19.
It described the plan for a new jet as both irrational and irresponsible.
DEAR President Zuma. We will grant you the benefit of the doubt that you personally ordered a R4-billion presidential jet, because your term as number one ends in 2019.
Only the mood of the nation will tell whether the next one to fully enjoy the luxury of an in-flight full bedroom suite, bathroom and conference room for eight will be your former wife, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, your deputy, Cyril Ramaphosa, Julius Malema or Mmusi Maimane.
Whoever takes over the shaky reins of this nation after you is probably going to face the wrath of the angry and hungry masses.
You see, you should not believe Armscor or your defence department – after all those hawks got you and us into trouble over that other unmentionable arms deal.
What the Department of Defence won’t remind you is that since the financial crisis of the late 2000s, your government has increased its borrowing from R16.1-billion in Thabo Mbeki’s days over the five-year period 2004-05 to 2008-09, to R694.3-billion for the five-year period 2009-10 to 2013-14.
This simply means we cannot afford a R4-billion jet for one man.
Secondly, remember when you agreed to freeze the increase in students’ fees, you still have a R2.6-billion short- fall to make up.
Still on the topic of students, if you are going to put our money where your mouth is, then we should be spending R51-billion on NSFAS funding for university and college students whose parents cannot afford to pay for fees.
We know she is an irritant to you and your party apparatchiks, but we the public love the fact that you appointed Thuli Madonsela as public protector to keep a check on the crooks who have been pilfering our taxes.
She has said her office is unable to fully discharge its constitutional mandate due to a 30% shortfall in its budget. All she needs is R100-million more a year to be able to get to the increasing number of cases reported to her.
These are just a few worthy alternatives to invest R4-billion in as opposed to a jet for you and your successors.
Why not take a leaf out of one of your Brics friend’s books, the man who heads up the second largest economy in the world. China’s President Xi Jinping flies on the national carrier, Air China.
The Chinese have chosen this path to avoid wasting money.
Mr President, the choice is yours. Either you fly the path of frugality and growth like the president of China does, or that of elite excess and of deepening debt like many other leaders of failed states do.