Gunship
11th Mar 2005, 00:58
From News 24
Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota has defended government's green light to the
procurement of military transport aircraft from Europe's Airbus Military.
He divulged that South Africa would have a 5% stake in the A400M programme
with spin-offs for South Africa's military aircraft industry.
He also told members of the National Assembly on Wednesday that the
programme would underpin jobs in the military industrial sector.
He was responding to a question from the Democratic Alliance's Moulana MR
Sayedali-Shah who asked whether the SA Army was consulted over the
procurement of the A400M military transport aircraft, and whether the deal
complied with the constitution.
Lekota said it was important to take into account that South Africa had been
invited by Europeans "to take a stake in the company producing the A400Ms".
This matter had been taken to cabinet.
"Part of the advantage would be that we would produce in South Africa...
part of the A400M."
He said the negotiating process to purchase between eight and 10 of the
aircraft had not by-passed tender procedures or the constitution.
"No purchase has been done yet."
Asked by African Christian Democratic Party MP Louis Green how big the stake
in the company would be, he did not provide a figure but said it would be
"about 5% of the company".
Noting sensitivity to the controversy in the media over the previous
multi-billion rand arms deal - relating to the purchase of fighter and
training aircraft and navy equipment from Europe - the minister said: "In
the very near future we will start the process of negotiating procurement.
There seems to be an assumption or misunderstanding that we have by-passed
the tender process... there is no question of transgressing the
constitution, we can't afford that."
"We are not prepared to create an atmosphere... of questioning the
acquisition of national defence force equipment," he said.
The A400M, 180 examples of which were ordered in May 2003 by seven European
Nato nations, will first fly in 2008 with deliveries beginning from 2009.
Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota has defended government's green light to the
procurement of military transport aircraft from Europe's Airbus Military.
He divulged that South Africa would have a 5% stake in the A400M programme
with spin-offs for South Africa's military aircraft industry.
He also told members of the National Assembly on Wednesday that the
programme would underpin jobs in the military industrial sector.
He was responding to a question from the Democratic Alliance's Moulana MR
Sayedali-Shah who asked whether the SA Army was consulted over the
procurement of the A400M military transport aircraft, and whether the deal
complied with the constitution.
Lekota said it was important to take into account that South Africa had been
invited by Europeans "to take a stake in the company producing the A400Ms".
This matter had been taken to cabinet.
"Part of the advantage would be that we would produce in South Africa...
part of the A400M."
He said the negotiating process to purchase between eight and 10 of the
aircraft had not by-passed tender procedures or the constitution.
"No purchase has been done yet."
Asked by African Christian Democratic Party MP Louis Green how big the stake
in the company would be, he did not provide a figure but said it would be
"about 5% of the company".
Noting sensitivity to the controversy in the media over the previous
multi-billion rand arms deal - relating to the purchase of fighter and
training aircraft and navy equipment from Europe - the minister said: "In
the very near future we will start the process of negotiating procurement.
There seems to be an assumption or misunderstanding that we have by-passed
the tender process... there is no question of transgressing the
constitution, we can't afford that."
"We are not prepared to create an atmosphere... of questioning the
acquisition of national defence force equipment," he said.
The A400M, 180 examples of which were ordered in May 2003 by seven European
Nato nations, will first fly in 2008 with deliveries beginning from 2009.