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Die onlangse vakansie van die adjunkpresident van Suid-Afrika, me. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, en haar gesin het die land se belastingbetalers derduisende rande uit die sak gejaag.
Mlambo-Ngcuka, haar man, mnr. Bulelani Ngcuka, en hul kinders het in Desember in Aboe Dhabi in die Verenigde Arabiese Emirate gaan vakansie hou met een van die lugmag se BBP-vliegtuie.
Die koste van só ’n vlug word volgens kenners op sowat R384 000 geraam, en dít net vir die brandstof. Die vlugbemanning en lyfwagte se buitelandse toelaes en verblyf, landingsheffings en oorvlugmagtigingsonkoste is nié by dié bedrag ingereken nie.
Mlambo-Ngcuka het, na verneem word, vir die vlug gebruik gemaak van die Falcon 900, die lugmag se nommer-twee-BBP-vliegtuig naas die Boeing-straler wat gewoonlik deur pres. Thabo Mbeki gebruik word.

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Govt carries can for Phumzile
10/01/2006 22:52 - (SA)

Erika Gibson, Beeld


Pretoria - The government takes full responsibility for providing transport
and security to the president and deputy-president - irrespective of whether
they are on official or private trips.

This was the reaction on Tuesday of presidency spokesperson Murphy Morobe to
the trip deputy president Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka and her family took, which
cost taxpayers about R400 000.

Mlambo-Ngcuka, husband Bulelani and their children were on holiday from
December 27 to 31 in the United Arab Emirates.

An air force Falcon 900 jet, one of the VIP planes used for the government's
official trips, was used for transporting the group.

The operational cost of the flight is calculated at about R400 000.

Morobe said the requirements for transporting the president and deputy
president were determined on the basis of safety, cost and convenience.

"In this case, the deputy president was advised that the safety prerequisite
could best be provided by an air force plane," said Morobe.

Difficult to make a comparison

He added that these transport arrangements were part of the government's
practice - similar to the standard procedures that "are followed by many
governments throughout the world".

Dr Dirk Kotzé of the political science department at Unisa said it was
difficult to make such a comparison because few countries had a deputy
president, reports Liezel de Lange.

"Most have a president and a prime minister, and the latter is generally not
treated at the same level as a deputy president."

Most countries bear the transport costs of their head of state, such as when
President George Bush of the USA goes to Texas for a holiday. The USA also
has a vice-president who is treated similarly.

But, Kotzé pointed out that British Prime Minister Tony Blair seldom allowed
the government to pay for his holiday arrangements, and that he always flew
with the national airline.

In Kotzé's opinion, safety was a consideration in Mlambo-Ngcuka's holiday
arrangements, but "comfort" was not a convincing argument because she could
have flown business-class on a commercial airline.

"Purely from an ethical point of view, a distinction must be drawn between
private and official visits."

'Only for official flights'

Morobe said earlier that Mlambo-Ngcuka used the air force plane under the
provisions of the cabinet manual regarding transport allocated to her.

This manual on the ethical conduct of cabinet ministers states that air
force planes can be used only for official flights for the account of a
cabinet minister's department.

The prerequisites for such flights are that no commercial flights can give
the individual time for his official obligations, when the safety of the
individual requires it or when commercial flights are not cost-effective or
are not available.

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Kabinetslede mag lugmagvliegtuie nét vir amptelike vlugte vir die rekening van ’n kabinetslid se departement gebruik. Só lui die handleiding vir etiese gedrag van die kabinet.

Die voorvereistes vir sulke vlugte is dat daar nié kommersiële vlugte is wat die individu betyds tot by sy amptelike verpligtinge kan vervoer nie, wanneer die veiligheid van die individu dit vereis of wanneer kommersiële vlugte nie kostedoeltreffend of beskikbaar is nie.

Die regering aanvaar egter volle verantwoordelikheid vir die verskaffing van vervoer en veiligheid aan die president en adjunkpresident – ongeag of hulle op amptelike of private reise is.

Dít was gister die reaksie van mnr. Murphy Morobe, woordvoerder van die presidensie, op die reis van adj.pres. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka en haar gesin wat belastingbetalers sowat R400 000 uit die sak gejaag het.

Mlambo-Ngcuka, haar man, Bulelani, en kinders was van 27 tot 31 Desember in Aboe Dhabi in die Verenigde Arabiese Emirate met vakansie. ’n Falcon 900-straler van die lugmag, een van die BBP-vliegtuie wat vir amptelike reise van die regering gebruik word, is gebruik om die groep te vervoer.

Die operasionele koste van die vlug word op sowat R400 000 gereken. Volgens Morobe word die vereistes vir die vervoer van die president en adjunkpresident op die grondslag van veiligheid, koste en gerief bepaal.

“In dié geval is die adjunkpresident geadviseer dat die voorvereiste van veiligheid die beste deur ’n weermagvliegtuig verskaf sou kon word,” het Morobe gesê.

Volgens hom is dié vervoerreëlings soortgelyk aan die standaardvoorskrifte wat “deur baie regerings regoor die wêreld gevolg word”.

Volgens dr. Dirk Kotzé van die departement politieke wetenskap aan Unisa is dit moeilik om só ’n vergelyking te tref omdat baie min lande ’n adjunkpresident het, berig Liezel de Lange.

“Die meeste het ’n president en premier, en laasgenoemde word oor die algemeen nie op dieselfde vlak as ’n adjunkpresident hanteer nie.”

Die meeste lande dra die vervoerkostes van hul staatshoof, soos wanneer pres. George W. Bush van die VSA Texas toe gaan vir vakansie. Die VSA het ook ’n visepresident wat op soortgelyke wyse hanteer word.

Kotzé wys egter daarop dat mnr. Tony Blair, die Britse premier, as staatshoof selde sy vakansiereëlings op staatskoste laat geskied en dat hy altyd met die nasionale lugdiens vlieg.

Wat Mlambo-Ngcuka se vakansiereëlings betref, meen Kotzé dat veiligheid ’n oorweging is, maar dat “gemak” nie ’n oortuigende argument is nie omdat sy besigheidsklas op ’n kommersiële lugdiens kon vlieg.

“Uit ’n suiwer etiese oogpunt moet daar ’n onderskeid getref word tussen private en amptelike besoeke.”

Morobe het vroeër gesê Mlambo-Ngcuka het die lugmagvliegtuig gebruik ingevolge die kabinetshandleiding se bepalings oor vervoer wat aan haar toegewys is.

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Deputy president Phumzile Mlambo-Ngquka might have to fork out thousands for her family's holiday in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.

Auditor Rudi van Zyl said this after the presidency acknowledged that the holiday flight in an air force VIP plane, was unofficial.

Van Zyl said that, in terms of the Income Tax Act, it was a taxable fringe benefit.

Van Zyl said section 8 of the Income Tax Act provided that government officials' travel allowances were exempt from tax - provided that it was undertaken for official purposes.

"As soon as travel becomes unofficial, but the employer still pays for it, the seventh schedule of the Act stipulates that it is no longer exempt from tax.

"This schedule also stipulates that the employer must recover in the same month (as the travel) the employee's tax (PAYE) from the public servant concerned, and pay it to the Receiver.

"Based on the deputy president's income, this tax amounts to 40% of the total expense, which - according to what's been learnt - would be about R400 000 in this case.

"So, the tax portion would be about R160 000."

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It's official: It was a holiday
13/01/2006

Cape Town - Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka went to the United Arab Emirates on holiday, her office said in a letter to news organisations, including I-Net Bridge, on Friday.
This follows a growing controversy in the media - and among opposition parties - about her December trip in a military aircraft paid for by the State.

The State broadcaster, the SABC had created the wrong impression, according to her adviser Kanyo Gqulu, that she had travelled to the UAE on a fact finding mission, that it had been half holiday and half business and that she was there to study crane-building businesses.

This was wrong, Gqulu said: "I would like to set the record straight by reiterating what was earlier stated in the media statements issued by the Presidency and (confirmed by the Deputy President in her interview) to the effect that Ms P Mlambo-Ngcuka went to the UAE on holiday.

"The actual modalities of transport are determined on the basis of security, in this instance the Deputy President was advised that the provision of security would be best served through the use of SANDF (South African National Defence Force) transport."

Security arrangements were determined in terms of the security manual and risk management system - both passed by cabinet.

He said: "In terms of these, their movement remains at all times a security matter and their physical security a permanent responsibility, rather than a benefit.

"The Presidency and the SA Police Service and the President and Deputy President do not themselves decide on the manner or modalities of movement.

Gqulu reiterated: "Contrary to yesterday's (January 12, 2006) and today's (January 13 2006) reports she did not travel to UAE on a fact-finding mission, nor did she go there on half business half holiday and she did not go there to study crane-building businesses."

He said further than in her interview with the State broadcaster - on Thursday, January 12 - "the Deputy President stated that she went to UAE on holiday but chose her destination based on the ongoing discussions she's been having with the Accelerated & Shared Growth Initiative -South Africa (ASGISA).

"In these deliberations it had become apparent that the UAE could offer opportunities to train South Africans in project management for infrastructure development. This skill is highly sort after in our country in the context of Accelerated & Shared Growth.

"In her interview with SABC the Deputy President referred to cranes only to make a point about the visibility and presence of cranes in the extraordinary infrastructure developmental work taking place in the UAE.

"All the visits and the meetings the Deputy President conducted, with the purpose of creating the framework and sourcing out training opportunities, were informal.

"I hope that by setting the record straight we have settled this matter once and for all."

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Bulelani Ngcuka, former national director of public prosecutions and husband to the deputy president, has to explain their recent trip to the United Arab Emirates, the Democratic Alliance said on Friday.

In his weekly newsletter, DA leader Tony Leon said Ngcuka was the "master of an expanding property development empire".

"In December, he accompanied his wife, deputy president Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, on the now-infamous "gravy plane" to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) over the Christmas holiday," Leon wrote.

"In November 2005, Bulelani Ngcuka and his company, Amabubesi Investments, were part of a consortium that bought 52% of the shares in Basil Read, one of South Africa's largest construction companies."

Leon said Ngcuka had announced in September already that his company was planning to build a big shopping mall at Jeffrey's Bay in the Eastern Cape.

Ngcuka was earlier last year also appointed as chairperson of V&A Waterfront Holdings in Cape Town.

"That raises the question: whose interests was the deputy president representing when she went on her mission to learn about 'crane-building businesses'?"

Her explanation raised a number of questions, Leon said.

"Why was no announcement made - as is customary - prior to her departure, and no media release issued while she was in the UAE?

"Why was the trip only discovered after it was over? Was this a holiday disguised as a business trip, or a business trip disguised as a holiday?"

Leon said Mlambo-Ngcuka had sent the worst possible message to councillors and South Africans, instead of leading by example.

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Adj.pres. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka se kantoor het gister in ’n derde weergawe vandeesweek van presies hóé haar reis na Aboe Dhabi verloop het, ontken dat sy ’n werkvakansie onderneem het. Sy het vakansie gaan hou en basta.

Die vergaderings wat sy dáár gehou het, was “informeel”.

Mnr. Khanyo Gqulu, Mlambo-Ngcuka se raadgewer, sê in ’n brief aan koerantredakteurs beriggewing oor haar eerste persoonlike kommentaar oor die omstrede besoek het die “indruk gewek” dat sy op ’n feitesending na die Verenigde Arabiese Emirate (VAE) was. Die “indruk” het volgens Gqulu uit ’n onderhoud met SAUK-nuus ontstaan. Daarin meld Mlambo-Ngcuka dat hoewel sy met vakansie was, sy dit met werk gekombineer het.

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