Well then this is the 4th time .... she just done it
again last week !
Go Erika
Erika Gibson, Beeld
Pretoria - Deputy president Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka this week apparently again put her foot in it - by making use of another potentially controversial flight - this time to Sun City.
This time it was the charter of an intercontinental jet to fly her and her company for 13 minutes to Sun City.
As far as could be ascertained the cost of the return flight amounted to approximately R75 000.
Mlambo-Ngcuka on Wednesday morning officially opened the Women's World Cup golf tournament at Sun City.
Aviation circles 'buzzing'
Aviation circles were abuzz on Friday to know the reasons for using a jet that is normally used for flights from South Africa to Europe or the USA for such an insignificant hop.
According to aviation experts there are several other options for less than half of the estimated R75 000 which would have delivered her to her destination a few minutes later.
The Gulfstream is one of the aircraft utilised by the Air Force when one of their own aircraft is not available for an intercontinental excursion.
This jet, which flies most economically on long distance intercontinental flights at a height of 35 000ft, would not even have attained a height of 12 000ft on the flight to Sun City before it would have had to descend again.
One aviation expert was of the opinion that other aircraft probably did not have enough seats for her party.
It was understood that the Falcon was not available as Mbeki is in Sudan at present for the African Union meeting, requiring the use of his business jet.
The Air Force has a contract for outsourcing VIP flights and will, depending on the urgency of requests for air transport by the various government departments, charter aircraft for the account of the departments.
The contractor will then be responsible to charter a suitable aircraft for the purpose of the excursion.
Apparently Jacob Zuma, former deputy president, regularly made use of two cheaper aircraft when he had official engagements or when he flew to KwaZulu-Natal for weekends.
It is normal that an aircraft is chartered for a minimum block of a specific number of hours, even if the full time schedule is not utilised.
Meanwhile the Air Force is trying to establish how the information about Mlambo-Ngcuka's outing to Abu Dhabi was leaked. Sam Mkhwanazi, spokesperson for the defence ministry, said there was no official investigation.
Personnel at the command post of Air Force headquarters in Pretoria, as well as those of 21 Squadron, the VIP squadron at Waterkloof air force base, have already been questioned.
Mkhwanazi said it had to be accepted that any organisation had to function in terms of certain rules and regulations.
"Some information is confidential, some secret.
"Any person divulging such information about the Air Force to the media or any other person is in breach of the law and can be prosecuted."
At our deadline he was still awaiting information regarding the Sun City flight from the Air Force.
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