Zimbabwe jet scandal ANC

Military Veterans Minister, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula. Image via: flickr

Zimbabwe jet scandal: DA claims ANC must pay back at least R260 000

An ANC delegation, who used a jet to fly to Zimbabwe, will have to pay up for its blunder and according to the DA, it’s a pretty penny.

Zimbabwe jet scandal ANC

Military Veterans Minister, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula. Image via: flickr

An African National Congress (ANC) delegation, which used a military jet to meet its counterparts in Harare, Zimbabwe, has come under fire for abusing State resources. While the controversial flight made headlines the Democratic Alliance (DA) took the time to ring up the expenses which it said should be paid back to the government. 

ANC DELEGATION ORDERED TO PAY BACK HEFTY AMOUNT FOR ZIMBABWE FLIGHT

DA Shadow Minister of Defence Kobus Marais, in a statement released on Wednesday 23 September, said the cost of chartering an 18-seater private jet from Pretoria or Johannesburg to Harare, Zimbabwe amounts to approximately R260 000. 

“This is according to two independent companies that are experts in the field of luxury travel. This amount, however, does not include payment for landing rights, parking fees or on-board catering,” said Marais. 

“The amount that the ANC will have to pay back after its delegation abused public funds to illegally travel to Zimbabwe and back aboard the air force’s Falcon-900 aircraft will therefore amount to even more than this,” he added. 

Marais said that until Treasury, in the interest of accountability and transparency, confirms the total amount the DA and the public can merely speculate.

DA CALLS ON MBOWENI AND TREASURY TO BREAK ITS SILENCE 

Marais said Finance Minister Tito Mboweni and the National Treasury should tell South African citizens how much the ANC delegation is expected to pay back for their illicit use of the Zimbabwe jet, how it arrived at the number and what the terms of repayment are. The DA has also called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to make the report on the flight public.

“The DA has previously requested President Ramaphosa to immediately release the report on the ANC delegation who used the air force jet to visit their counterparts in Zimbabwe but this has not happened. It is unacceptable that the Minister reports back to the ANC about the ANC’s failures and South Africans are left in the dark,” said Marais. 

“While many law-abiding citizens have had to pay fines and were criminalised by the government during the lockdown for simply going surfing or taking a jog, ANC members thought it within their set of special rules to board a State aircraft to attend party business,” said Marais.  

The DA also stated that the ANC’s repayment of the money does not in any way absolve the party of the criminality of their actions. 

“We will pursue this matter until all involved have been held to account to the full extent of the law. The DA will not allow the ANC to continue to abuse their power and loot our State resources,” added Marais.