SA Deputy-Pres's Gravy Plane
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To calm all the members - we will still allow the posting of Afrikaans news articles but would ask for the poster to give some indication of what is contained in the article.
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Well, it's final - Thabo says it's OK. So it must be OK. OK 
4HP
Mbeki defends Phumzile's trip
Deputy president Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka's use of an SA air force jet to fly to Abu Dhabi and back on holiday at the end of last year was correct in terms of security arrangements, President Thabo Mbeki told MPs on Thursday. Responding in the national assembly to debate on his state of the nation address, he said security arrangements since 1994 and before, called for both the president and deputy president to be provided with 24-hour protection. This meant that when they travelled by air, "unless the circumstances make this impossible, they travel in planes provided, managed and flown by the SA air force". These transport arrangements, which were an integral part of the security system decided exclusively by the state security services and not the president or deputy president, applied regardless of destination and the purpose of travel. "The SA air force therefore carried the deputy president to and from Abu Dhabi as the security regulations require," he said. This had been the only cost of the deputy president's holiday that had accrued to the state. "All other expenses incurred by the deputy president by going on holiday were met entirely by the deputy president, with absolutely no charge to the state." (Or by the UAE government or a certain crane company
)
Mbeki said unless security arrangements were changed, it would remain the responsibility of the police and the air force to transport the deputy president to her holiday destination. "I trust that after this explanation nobody will find it impermissible that she should continue to be provided with security on a 24-hour basis, which includes the periods when she is on holiday," he said. Mbeki made no mention of the cost of the flight, which the Democratic Alliance has said cost taxpayers more than R700 000. The president also made no mention of the furore over the fact that Mlambo-Ngcuka was accompanied on the flight by Thuthukile Mazibuko-Skweyiya, the wife of Social Development Minister Zola Skweyiya.
Deputy president Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka's use of an SA air force jet to fly to Abu Dhabi and back on holiday at the end of last year was correct in terms of security arrangements, President Thabo Mbeki told MPs on Thursday. Responding in the national assembly to debate on his state of the nation address, he said security arrangements since 1994 and before, called for both the president and deputy president to be provided with 24-hour protection. This meant that when they travelled by air, "unless the circumstances make this impossible, they travel in planes provided, managed and flown by the SA air force". These transport arrangements, which were an integral part of the security system decided exclusively by the state security services and not the president or deputy president, applied regardless of destination and the purpose of travel. "The SA air force therefore carried the deputy president to and from Abu Dhabi as the security regulations require," he said. This had been the only cost of the deputy president's holiday that had accrued to the state. "All other expenses incurred by the deputy president by going on holiday were met entirely by the deputy president, with absolutely no charge to the state." (Or by the UAE government or a certain crane company
)Mbeki said unless security arrangements were changed, it would remain the responsibility of the police and the air force to transport the deputy president to her holiday destination. "I trust that after this explanation nobody will find it impermissible that she should continue to be provided with security on a 24-hour basis, which includes the periods when she is on holiday," he said. Mbeki made no mention of the cost of the flight, which the Democratic Alliance has said cost taxpayers more than R700 000. The president also made no mention of the furore over the fact that Mlambo-Ngcuka was accompanied on the flight by Thuthukile Mazibuko-Skweyiya, the wife of Social Development Minister Zola Skweyiya.
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SA Deputy-Pres's Gravy Plane
This chick is at it again but she's outdoing her previous attempts - this time she gets the aerie to dead-head from Switzerland to pick her & her mates up, flog them to London & Edinburgh & back to Joburg & then dead-head the plane back to Switzerland. Are you surprised it cost over 4 & a half million?
Kerchiiiiiiiiiiinnggggggg. Next please.
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A flight to Britain by South Africa's deputy president that cost R4.55m and was ordered without authorisation will be investigated, the minister of defence said on Saturday. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka and her staff were on a working visit to Edinburgh and London, for which the Defence Department hired a plane without authorisation from the ministry, Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota said. "The extraordinary cost associated with the hiring of the plane was irregular and way out of proportion with reasonable standards," Lekota said in a statement, adding that he would set up an inquiry board to investigate the matter. When Terror smells a rat you gotta know there's a big drol in the drink-water. 
Lekota said, however, that Mlambo-Ngcuka herself was not at fault. "Any attempt to suggest that either the staff of the Presidency or the deputy president herself is to blame must be rejected with the contempt it deserves," he said. The Defence Department has sole responsibility for the air transport of the Presidency, Lekota said. Mlambo-Ngcuka has been in criticised for similar issues twice before, however, after an air force plane was used to transport her and her family for a private trip to the United Arab Emirates last year, as well as a 13-minute ride to a golf tournament at the nearby Sun City resort.
On the most recent incident, a Johannesburg newspaper reported that a plane had to be flown from Switzerland to take Mlambo-Ngcuka and her entourage to the Britain because there were not enough trained pilots in South Africa. On her return to South Africa, the plane would have to be flown back to Switzerland, it said. A first-class return ticket from Johannesburg to London and Glasgow would cost about R52 000 per person, the paper reported. It was not clear how many people were travelling with the deputy president. The opposition welcomed the inquiry into the flight, but said Mlambo-Ngcuka could not be absolved of all blame for her "conspicuous expenditure" in a country with millions of poor people. "If she was on board the flight, she must take political responsibility," said Motlatjo Thetjeng, member of parliament for the Democratic Alliance, in a statement. He said the party would review the matter and, if necessary, refer it to the Public Protector for further investigation.
Lekota said, however, that Mlambo-Ngcuka herself was not at fault. "Any attempt to suggest that either the staff of the Presidency or the deputy president herself is to blame must be rejected with the contempt it deserves," he said. The Defence Department has sole responsibility for the air transport of the Presidency, Lekota said. Mlambo-Ngcuka has been in criticised for similar issues twice before, however, after an air force plane was used to transport her and her family for a private trip to the United Arab Emirates last year, as well as a 13-minute ride to a golf tournament at the nearby Sun City resort.
On the most recent incident, a Johannesburg newspaper reported that a plane had to be flown from Switzerland to take Mlambo-Ngcuka and her entourage to the Britain because there were not enough trained pilots in South Africa. On her return to South Africa, the plane would have to be flown back to Switzerland, it said. A first-class return ticket from Johannesburg to London and Glasgow would cost about R52 000 per person, the paper reported. It was not clear how many people were travelling with the deputy president. The opposition welcomed the inquiry into the flight, but said Mlambo-Ngcuka could not be absolved of all blame for her "conspicuous expenditure" in a country with millions of poor people. "If she was on board the flight, she must take political responsibility," said Motlatjo Thetjeng, member of parliament for the Democratic Alliance, in a statement. He said the party would review the matter and, if necessary, refer it to the Public Protector for further investigation.
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I somehow think that this sort of spending is only going
to get worse on all politicians behalf!
Now who said that we weren't going to be sliding
like our northern neighbours again?
to get worse on all politicians behalf!
Now who said that we weren't going to be sliding
like our northern neighbours again?
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From bad to worse.....
Think this is bad? You ain't seen nothing yet. Wait until the spin-doctors come up with the inevitable justification theories. They're going to earn their ill-begot money on this one.
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Deputy president Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka's contentious visit to Britain turned into a disaster when the aircraft that was hired at great cost to transport her broke down and had to be replaced. The bill for the replacement aircraft to get her back home will also be sent to the South African taxpayer. She arrived at Lanseria airport on Tuesday morning, a day later than planned, and was promptly greeted by journalists from Radio 702. The radio station said the Swiss jetliner hired for her at a cost of R4.55m left as planned from Gatwick airport on Monday. It was scarcely airborne before it had to turn back to Gatwick, near London, apparently because of technical problems. By bizarre coincidence, the faulty aircraft was parked at Gatwick next to a plane that belongs to HBD - a company in the stable of billionaire South African entrepreneur and space traveller, Mark Shuttleworth. This was confirmed in Cape Town by Stuart Kirkman, a spokesperson for the Shuttleworth group. "The Shuttleworth group owns an aircraft which is hired to third parties, commercially, by the Execujet company. "This is done without deferring to the owner. "The decision to convey the deputy president was by no means politically motivated, and a market-related tariff was charged," Kirkman said. He referred all further questions to Execujet. Etti Poggi, general manager of Execujet at Lanseria airport, was non-committal and did not provide any new information.
Government sources were as quiet as mice. Nothing could be confirmed via official channels. Nothing further has been heard of the promised board of inquiry that was announced on Saturday by Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota, soon after the story about the Swiss jet charter broke. On Monday, the defence department declined to comment on reports that the presidency specifically requested a jet with transcontinental capabilities, rather than one that would have had to refuel during the flight to Britain.
Government sources were as quiet as mice. Nothing could be confirmed via official channels. Nothing further has been heard of the promised board of inquiry that was announced on Saturday by Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota, soon after the story about the Swiss jet charter broke. On Monday, the defence department declined to comment on reports that the presidency specifically requested a jet with transcontinental capabilities, rather than one that would have had to refuel during the flight to Britain.
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beeld got a bit of the story wrong , the global went u/s over the weekend not after departure for jhb,
but
this morning the story of the dept pres trip to australia and new zealand in oct using the local global zs-gjb which accoring to execujet , the fuel alone would have cost R3 million.
lets see what the min of defence has to say now!
but
this morning the story of the dept pres trip to australia and new zealand in oct using the local global zs-gjb which accoring to execujet , the fuel alone would have cost R3 million.
lets see what the min of defence has to say now!
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This is sad. I am usually very pro SA.. give them the benefit of the doubt I said, what can we contribute? But it seems that its bigger than them. It seems that it is inherent in African politicians that they need to rip the ring out of it every time.
And then they wonder why the rest of the world not only laughs behind their backs, but exploits them, and the people they represent, because quite frankly they dont have the foresight to understand that the country is not just for them and their elitist families, but for everyone... very sad!!!
SA will cry one day, the people will starve one day, and then they will go about blaming the world for the wrong they have caused. This is indicative of a total lack of intelligence, not from a lack of education, rather from an inherent inability to comprehend the difference between right and wrong.
And then they wonder why the rest of the world not only laughs behind their backs, but exploits them, and the people they represent, because quite frankly they dont have the foresight to understand that the country is not just for them and their elitist families, but for everyone... very sad!!!
SA will cry one day, the people will starve one day, and then they will go about blaming the world for the wrong they have caused. This is indicative of a total lack of intelligence, not from a lack of education, rather from an inherent inability to comprehend the difference between right and wrong.
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I tell you this is truly a disgrace this whole issue. Of course the owners of the aircraft and the operator/s are smiling all the way to the Bank. We are heading in a direction that I had hoped would not reveal us to the rest of the world as a corrupt over-spending banana republic type nation. And I am, too, a proud South African. It's 
and 
and also 
. I know one of the crew members on one of the flights and was horrified to have heard a report back on her attitude on-board. Scary stuff - that's all I can say.
and and also . I know one of the crew members on one of the flights and was horrified to have heard a report back on her attitude on-board. Scary stuff - that's all I can say.
