Mkhwebane probes Zim ‘lift’ plane saga
Third opposition party lodges complaint
PUBLIC Protector advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane is probing the use of an SANDF aircraft by ANC officials for its meeting with Zanu-PF last week.
Yesterday, Mkhwebane’s spokesperson Oupa Segalwe confirmed that she was investigating the matter, saying the African Transformation Movement (ATM) became the third party to lodge a complaint with her office.
EFF leader Julius Malema yesterday said while he understood the need for a meeting over the crisis in Zimbabwe, he would call for the ANC to pay the bill for officials who boarded the plane.
“Yes, the ATM lodged a complaint with the office. We initially received a complaint from AfriForum and Freedom Front Plus. The public protector is giving attention to the matter,” Segalwe said.
In their complaint, ATM said that on September 9 the ANC delegation led by Secretary-General Ace Magashule landed in Harare, Zimbabwe and were met by Zanu-PF chairperson Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri and several other party officials.
“On September 10, the ANC, through its national spokesperson Pule Mabe, issued a public statement to give feedback on what the meeting deliberated on. Noteworthy in that feedback is that nothing involving military issues was mentioned, not even a line to say such was discussed but not strategic to give details.
“It is common cause that the aircraft of the SANDF was used to transport the ANC delegation. Media reports attributed to the spokesperson of the Ministry of Defence, Siphiwe Dlamini, say the ANC meeting coincided with the official work of Minister MapisaNqakula. Dlamini is reported to have said that Minister Mapisa-Nqakula was meeting her Zimbabwe counterpart in preparation for a SADC Troika meeting and the UN reconfiguration of the Force Intervention which comprises troops from the SADC region,” ATM president Vuyolwethu Zungula said.
He said the Defence and Military Veterans Minister has not repudiated the spokesperson, saying it was safe to conclude that she agrees with the version of the spokesperson.
“President Ramaphosa issued a public statement on September 11 instructing Minister of Defence Ms Mapisa-Nqakula to furnish him with a detailed report within 48 hours on the circumstances that led to the minister sharing a flight to Zimbabwe with a delegation of ANC leadership.
“The ATM is requesting the public protector to investigate the following: Did Minister Mapisa-Nqakula comply with the guidance as articulated in chapter 6, international travel, clause 1.3 of the ministerial handbook, which says ‘ministers and deputy ministers should approach the president in writing to request approval for the intended visit and in the event of a planned official visit abroad, such a request should be at least two weeks prior to departure? Such a request, in the case of a minister, should be accompanied by a request for the appointment of an acting minister’.
“Can President Ramaphosa independently confirm that he indeed received the request for approval as intimated and, if so, did he approve such a request? If so, why is President Ramaphosa requiring a report as if the trip was not sanctioned by him?”
Segalwe said all these matters will be probed by Mkhwebane.