O3 - Extreme Air for Politicians

‘We don’t owe anyone answers’ for our O3 addiction

2012-01-24T05:26:00.001-08:00

‘We do not have to explain to anyone the decisions we take. We do not need to call a community meeting about this and we don’t owe anyone answers.”

This was the defiant message issued by the Defence Ministry on Monday in a scathing attack on critics of the multimillion-rand chartering of “shadow” aircraft for President Jacob Zuma’s flight to a UN Security Council meeting earlier this month.

The attack comes after the ministry initially tried to deny the chartering of the aircraft, and follows a barrage of criticism over the hiring of a Global Express aircraft to shadow the presidential plane, Inkwazi, and the use of an SAA Airbus A340 in the saga.

According to aviation sources it can cost up to $15 000 (R120 000) an hour to charter a Global Express, with a flight to New York taking up to 18 hours.

The criticism comes hours after Zuma flew to Qatar on Monday – this time, according to the SAAF, without shadow aircraft. It is not known why back-up aircraft were not needed to shadow Zuma’s plane on this trip.

The saga comes months after the resignation of then-defence secretary Mpumi Mpofu and the attempted resignation by air force chief Lieutenant-General Carlo Gagiano over embarrassing incidents and close shaves involving the SAAF’s ageing VIP aircraft.

These incidents include the use of convicted South African mercenary Niel Steyl as the pilot on an aircraft chartered to fly Zuma to a UN General Assembly meeting last year.

In one incident involving the SAAF’s VIP fleet, Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe had to abandon a leg of his state visit to Nordic countries last year because of technical difficulties with aircraft.

While the air force and the ministry were quick on Monday to silence critics, aviation insiders say the chartering of the aircraft in South Africa was unnecessary and could have been done more cheaply.

A well-placed source, with inside information on the chartering of the aircraft, said if it had been necessary to charter an aircraft to fly Zuma around in the US, this could have been done more cheaply from the US.

“It would literally take one phone call to hire a plane and it would have been more cost-effective. Besides, if there was a problem in the air, what were those shadowing the president going to do? A mid-air transfer?” the source said.

“This is a total waste of money and there is something far more underhanded here. A lot more questions need to be asked.”

Defending the chartering, Defence Ministerial spokesman Ndivhuwo Mabya lashed out at critics.

In an interview with Sapa, he said the ministry did not need to “justify” itself to anyone.

“The funfair about the president’s plane must come to an end,” he said.

Asked to explain his statement, Mabya said a lot had been said during an hour of discussions, “and just to take three lines is not on”.

“Everyone knows this is not free, but those in the air force have to make difficult decisions,” Mabya said.

“Decisions are taken by the air force chief. He is a three-star general and makes very sober decisions, which must be respected.

“We do not have to explain to anyone the decisions which we take. We do not need to call a community meeting about this and we don’t owe anyone answers.”

Asked if he didn’t think the country’s taxpayers were owed an explanation, Mabya said there were accounting structures the ministry followed involving the submission of quarterly and annual reports.

Asked why he had initially denied the chartering, and confronted with audio recordings of New York’s JFK Air Traffic Control towers communication with the aircraft, Mabya said there was no way of authenticating the recordings.

“How do you know they haven’t been edited? How do you know it is not fake?” Mabya asked.

SAAF spokeswoman Brigadier-General Marthie Visser said the Inkwazi had been out of use for three months for servicing.

“Despite rigorously testing the aircraft after it returned from service, the decision was taken to charter aircraft to shadow the Inkwazi. This was done with safety in mind and the importance of the obligations that Zuma had to meet.

“The air force had to ensure that the president was in the US on time and that he was back the very next day for scheduled commitments here,” she said.

Asked why the SAAF’s other VIP aircraft, two Falcon 550s and a Falcon 900, had not been used and whether they were serviceable, Visser said they had been required for other government officials. - Pretoria News

O3 for me!!!! Zuma’s aircraft row

2012-01-21T02:15:00.000-08:00

Not one, but two aircraft are now believed to have shadowed President Jacob Zuma’s presidential jet to New York – or at least part of the way – where he delivered a speech at the opening session of the UN Security Council last week.

Yesterday, after days of denial, the defence ministry finally confirmed reports that a back-up plane – a chartered Bombardier Global Express estimated to have cost R2 million – had shadowed Zuma’s Boeing Business Jet on its way to New York last week.

On Thursday, ministry spokesman Ndivhuwo Mabaya rubbished reports that the shadow aircraft had landed at JFK International shortly after the presidential jet touched down, claiming this aircraft had flown only as far as Las Palmas on the Canary Islands, where it had waited to accompany Zuma on the return leg.

However, air force chief Lieutenant-General Carlo Gagiano told journalists in Johannesburg yesterday that the Bombardier had indeed flown to New York and blamed the conflicting information on a breakdown in communication between himself and Mabaya.

It has since emerged that Mabaya, in denying that the shadow plane had gone to New York, may have confused the Bombardier charter flight with another shadow aircraft.

DA MP David Maynier claimed yesterday that a second back-up plane, an Airbus A340-200 with the call sign SA2205, had been chartered from SAA to shadow Zuma’s flight as far as Las Palmas on January 10.

This plane, apparently stocked with victuals for VIP passengers and carrying a crew of three for the outward journey, returned to OR Tambo International the next day.

Maynier said a relief crew of three pilots and eight cabin crew flew on a commercial SAA flight to Frankfurt, Germany, then on a Condor flight to Las Palmas to bring the Airbus back to Johannesburg under the call sign SA2206.

Ordinary passengers were bumped off the SAA Frankfurt flight to make room for the relief crew, he said.

The DA MP said back-up arrangements were “mind-boggling” and called on Defence Minister Lindiwe Sisulu to “step in and make a public statement setting out all the facts”.

He asked why it had been necessary to use two aircraft to shadow the presidential jet, what the cost had been, and for details of dates, times and routes of both shadow aircraft.

“The real question is why were President Zuma and his staff not prepared to take a commercial flight to New York? Our own national carrier SAA now offers direct flights to New York from Johannesburg.”

SAA corporate affairs chief Dileseng Koetle did not respond to requests for information yesterday, while

Mabaya denied any knowledge of a second shadow plane and defended the decision to charter the Bombardier jet, saying it was “technically expected” for a plane to accompany the president “in case there was a problem with the (presidential) jet”, which was recently overhauled. “You see, if you are flying from SA to New York, you need 22 (air traffic control) approvals from different countries. So, if something goes wrong with the plane in New Zealand, and the plane that is backing it up is in SA, how long will it take to get it out there?”

Asked why Zuma had used the presidential jet if there was uncertainty about its condition, Mabaya said this was a “standard technical procedure” and a decision taken by the air force’s technical services division.

“The (presidential) plane flew back from Canada after it was serviced and has since been flying the president around SA. But going to New York was the longest distance we have taken with the president on board since it came back from service.

“This plane… is the most reliable plane in the air force and the newest, but considering that the plane was not in our hands for about three months, the technical people said it was necessary as a precautionary measure,” Mabaya added.

Mabaya said there had been little time between Zuma’s scheduled landing at JFK International on January 10 and his speech at the UN on January 12.

“We took a decision that the president is going to be accompanied by another plane so that in case there was an emergency the other plane will land and assist – and that we can be on time to deliver the UN speech as (SA is) now chairing the Security Council. It was a technical decision taken by the technical people,” he insisted.

Gagiano said yesterday that the military had a responsibility to uphold SA’s prestige by transporting the president safely and on time to international engagements.

“(VIP transport) is extremely complex and important to the international image of the country… Who will make the (UN) speech if the president can’t make it?” he asked. Gagiano also slammed the media for suggesting the air force’s planes were “unsafe”.

“My passengers are now nervous because they read in the papers how unsafe our planes are… They stress because they think, ‘when is this aircraft going to fall apart?’”

Air industry expert Linden Birns said the service the presidential Boeing had undergone would have involved stripping the aircraft down, performing stress tests and x-ray examinations of several parts to restore the plane to what could be described as “nearly new”.

Birns would not comment on the air force’s decision to send a shadow aircraft.

- Saturday Star

Air Force: Shadow plane was in US

2012-01-21T00:01:00.000-08:00

The SA Air Force has admitted a plane that shadowed President Jacob Zuma on his recent visit to the United States did so all the way to New York.

“The aircraft was there because there was a time-critical engagement on the way back,” air force chief Lt-Gen Carlo Gagiano told reporters in Johannesburg.

A standby aircraft was vital to ensure the president did not miss this appointment.

“I decided if we had to guarantee time sensitive flights we had to do it. 1/8We must be 3/8 99.9 percent sure we get our principal there on time.”

He was responding to reports earlier this week that a second jet had landed at John F Kennedy International Airport where Zuma was attending a United Nations meeting.

The defence ministry however said on Thursday the Bombardier Global Express only flew halfway and landed in the Canary Islands. It remained there until Zuma flew back to South Africa, the ministry said.

Media reported that the plane was seen in US airspace and that audio of it landing at JFK airport last week, confirmed it flew using an SA Air Force call sign.

Defence ministry spokesman Ndivhuwo Mabaya denied that the plane had followed Zuma into the US.

Gagiano blamed the conflicting reports on a breakdown in communication between himself and Mabaya.

Mabaya said the defence ministry did not have to “justify” itself to anyone.

“The funfair about the president's plane must come to an end,” he said.

Gagiano said the military had a responsibility to help uphold South Africa's prestige by transporting the president safely and on time to international engagements.

“ (VIP transport is) extremely complex and important to the international image of the country.

“Who will make the speech if the president (Jacob Zuma) can't make it?”

Gagiano said it was a “huge embarrassment” when Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe had to cancel an official visit to Finland due to a problem with his aircraft.

Transporting VIPs was “extremely complex”.

Media reports about problems with the air force's aircraft was also making its passengers uneasy.

“My passengers are now nervous because they read in the papers how unsafe our planes are,” said Gagiano.

“They stress because they think when is this aircraft going to fall apart.” - Sapa

Zuma jet recordings 'illegal'

2012-01-20T02:36:00.001-08:00

The Defence Ministry claimed on Thursday that recordings of President Jacob Zuma's travel activity are illegal.

This was despite the fact that the information was openly available on an American website that broadcasts live air traffic control feeds globally.

More audio in Eyewitness News' possession suggested that a charted plane shadowing the president's jet during his recent visit to the United States left John F. Kennedy International Airport just seven minutes after the official aircraft departed.

But the Defence Ministry nevertheless insisted that the second plane only flew to the Canary Islands, remained there waiting for the presidential aircraft, and then returned home to South Africa.

The ministry's Ndhivuwo Mabaya said that the recordings stating otherwise were hardly reliable.

"Anyone can produce a recording.

"If you want us to run this government based on an illegal website that records the conversations of pilots illegally, we are not going to be part of that.

"I don't have to listen to it," he continued. "If you believe it that is your choice."

The cost of flying the second plane was thought to have been about R2-million.

- iafrica

Mampara of the Week: Tubby Reddy

2012-01-17T00:28:00.000-08:00

Reddy, steady, stop right there

IT's bad enough that a portly man named Tubby Reddy is in charge of SA Olympic sports. But it stretches the bounds of credulity when Tubby and his pals jet off en masse to Innsbruck, Austria, where South Africa fielded just one athlete at the Winter Youth Olympics, alpine skier Sive Speelman.

While the most important people - the athlete and his coach - flew cattle class, the bigwigs at the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee fly only business class, as allowed in their "policies and procedures". How many administrators? Five! Tubby the CEO, a Sascoc deputy president, a chef de mission, a project manager and IOC committee member Sam Ramsamy. You want to ask: what were they thinking? And you would be presumptuous. Had they been thinking, they would not have done it. Hogarth has some advice for our man Reddy. Next time, watch it on telly, Tubby. A mampara of Olympic proportions.

- Timeslive

Minister lived the life of a jetsetter

2011-12-14T22:41:00.001-08:00

International Relations Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane would be forgiven for being mistaken for an international jet-setter, given that she spent R10 million in chartering 14 jets and R3m on luxury hotel accommodation in 15 months.

Over the past few months, details of excessive travel expenses incurred by members of President Jacob Zuma’s cabinet have been given in written replies to questions from DA MPs.

Nkoana-Mashabane said in a written reply that between April last year and June this year she had 14 chartered flights at a cost of more than R10.4m. She also spent R2.4m on tickets for 26 business class, 14 first class and three economy class flights.

While neither of Nkoana-Mashabane’s deputies – Ebrahim Ebrahim and Marius Fransman, whose bill included his predecessor’s – chartered any private jets, their international travel costs topped R1m for the same period. Their domestic travel bill was just over R416 000.

The DA’s spokesman on international relations, Kenneth Mubu, MP, said the party’s calculations indicated that, had the minister used commercial airlines, she would have saved taxpayers R9.6m.

“No doubt the cost of these flights to the South African people is the furthest thing from her mind as she kicks back on a luxury jet. Now she owes us all an explanation.”

Mubu said it was clear that private jets were the minister’s “preferred mode of transport”.

The DA intended asking the public protector to launch an investigation into the minister’s conduct.

Nkoana-Mashabane’s spokesman, Clayson Monyela, said she was the “most-travelled” minister because of the “responsibility attached to the portfolio”.

“Ministers in other countries get dedicated planes to execute their foreign policies. The minister doesn’t have a plane dedicated to her.”

Monyela said the chartered aircraft were to get to countries in Africa that were difficult to reach and didn’t have direct flights.

The minister was often called to respond to matters in other African countries at short notice.

“If there’s a cheaper way of flying across the continent, the minster would be happy to take it.”

Chartering flights was not the “preferred option” but at times “necessary”, he said.

Nkoana-Mashabane used 14 chartered private jets to visit several African countries.

She had used a chartered jet on October 17-26 last year to attend meetings in the capitals of Egypt, Kenya, North and South Sudan.

On December 19-21, the minister travelled to the capitals of north and south Sudan and a city in Equatorial Guinea.

On January 5-7, she chartered a flight to Nigeria and Ghana.

Asked whether the minister’s business class and first class flights were considered the cheaper option, Monyela said members of the executive’s mode of transport were regulated by the Ministerial Handbook, which “entitled” them to travel in those classes.

“This is what the Ministerial Handbook entitles ministers to do.”

Given his assertion that Nkoana-Mashabane preferred the cheapest option, why did she not travel economy class?

“Doing the number of trips to fulfil all that she should, can you imagine, what do you think that would do to her health?”

Mubu said: “This is the minister who, in September, chartered a flight from Oslo apparently to avoid having her luggage scanned.

“But now a different picture is emerging. The chartered flight from Oslo was not a one-off – expensive chartered flights are clearly her preferred mode of travel.” - Political Bureau

All they want for Christmas is a flying carpet

2011-11-24T07:50:00.000-08:00

INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPERS

Minister of Defence and Military Veterans Lindiwe Sisulu. Photo: Mxolisi Madela

Times are hard, Christmas is just around the corner and the last time President Jacob Zuma flew to New York it cost R6.33 million, so Defence and Military Veterans Minister Lindiwe Sisulu has come up with a cheaper alternative to put in his Christmas stocking – a magic carpet.

She revealed in a written parliamentary reply to the DA’s David Maynier on Wednesday that the chartered flight which took Zuma to a UN General Assembly meeting in September had cost R3.73m for the Boeing 727 and its crew and an estimated R2.6m for fuel and handling.

However, in a riposte to Maynier’s suggestion that Zuma was about to receive a “very big Christmas present” in the form of two new aircraft for him and Kgalema Motlanthe, Sisulu suggested it would be cheaper for the president and his deputy to use a Persian carpet.

On Tuesday, the National Assembly was debating the budget adjustments for national departments, when Maynier rose and tossed Sisulu a curve-ball:

“I understand… that the honourable minister is in the process of buying the honourable deputy president a VERY BIG Christmas present,” he declared, referring to reports the defence department is to cough up R1.6 billion to acquire two new aircraft for the use of Zuma and his deputy, Motlanthe.

“Will the minister tell this House whether she really believes that it is justified to purchase business jets at the cost of billions of rands, when so many of our people are poor and destitute?”

Sisulu, unimpressed, unleashed her withering sense of humour: “However, for your own benefit, honourable Maynier, I have just returned from Oman. I went to the souk, which is their market.

“And I went shopping,” she announced defiantly, shooting Maynier a deadpan glance.

“I went shopping for Persian carpets, because I am informed they still fly, as they did so many years ago. I’m thinking perhaps it might be cheaper to get a Persian carpet for the president and deputy president if they’re not going to get business jets. I don’t know what else you expect them to use.”

MPs, including Maynier, collapsed with mirth, but the dogged opposition member decided to push the envelope of his love-hate relationship with the minister with his next question.

“One must conclude from the minister’s reply that she has in fact not read her own adjustments budget.

“Had she done so she would have known that there’s a very substantial virement (adjustment) to support the VIP (transport) capability. But the question is, since the minister is doing so much Christmas shopping, will she be buying me a Christmas present this year?” he asked.

But Sisulu was not in a forgiving mood: “But the next Christmas present that you would appreciate is to be on the front page of every newspaper, that’s what you live for every day… And other elements of representing the poor is just a by-the-way and is an excuse.”

Maynier had had the rug pulled from under him. - Political Bureau

It all comes down to size of your… plane

2011-11-22T23:59:00.000-08:00

Size evidently matters when it comes to the intercontinental jets that carry kings, queens, presidents and prime ministers on official business abroad.

If you scan the to-scale illustrations of such aircraft, you will get a rough sense of how nations rank in the world, or at least how they think they should.

US President Barack Obama, Chinese President Hu Jintao and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh are all out there in front, at 70m of aircraft each, all flying Boeing 747s or customised variations.

The US’s Air Force One is the industry standard, with its sophisticated logistical and security facilities, including a mini “White House” for the president, with an office from which he can address the nation while flying, plus comfortable sleeping quarters, medical clinic and so on.

When India upgraded its prime minister’s intercontinental transport in 2003 from a standard 747 hired from the national carrier Air India to the dedicated 747-400, it was very much inspired by Air Force One, according to India media commentators.

They say Air India One now also has jamming devices, chaff dispensers, a medical room, secure communication facilities, in-flight refuelling capabilities and other electronic warfare devices.

Indian officials suggest that some journalistic licence has been taken here and that Singh still flies in an Air India 747-400 hired from the airline’s normal fleet, configured especially for his purposes, with meeting and sleeping quarters and so on – but reconfigured afterwards for normal commercial passenger flights.

Hu’s travel arrangements differ, in that his 747s remain permanently with the People’s Liberation Army Air Force fleet.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev is just a nose behind the three 747s in his Ilyushin Il-96-300PU, length 68m, range 15 000km reportedly fitted out in Britain at an extra cost of about £10 million (R131m), with gold taps, silk curtains and the like.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy travels in a specially converted Airbus A330-223, length 58.8m, range 15 400km.

Though the French media have taken the usual digs at Sarkozy for the alleged pretentiousness and extravagance of this largish plane, it is quite an old machine, bought from an airline.

The big planes flown by Hu, Singh and Medvedev suggest that the challenge from the major emerging economies – now grouped as Brics, the Brazil, Russia, India, China and now South Africa forum – to the Western powers for global dominance is also largely reflected in the air.

Brazil, though, is rather an exception to this rule. President Dilma Rousseff, elected last year, travels in an Airbus A-319-CJ, the corporate jet version of the A-319 commercial passenger aircraft.

At 33.8m it falls well short of the other Brics aircraft, though it is much the same size as the Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) which President Jacob Zuma now flies – but which he finds inadequate, according to the Defence Department.

Upgrading to something larger than a BBJ, though, would also put Zuma ahead of Australian Governor-General Quentin Bryce and Prime Minister Julia Gillard, who fly in dedicated BBJs operated by the Royal Australian Air Force.

Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan also flies a BBJ.

One conspicuous absentee from this aerial competition is Britain.

Because of drastic austerity measures and a national aversion to ostentation by its leader, the UK has no dedicated intercontinental air transport for Queen Elizabeth or Prime Minister David Cameron.

They have to make do with scheduled, commercial flights or charter aircraft, and even these prompt howls of “extravagance” from the political opposition and the press.

The Nordic countries are generally just as modest. Norway’s King Harald and Queen Sonja visited South Africa two years ago on regular commercial flights.

Zuma is among the front runners in this fleet of leaders, travelling neck and neck with Gillard (with a gross domestic product about 3.4 times South Africa’s) and Rousseff of Brazil (GDP about 5.7 times larger) and also wing tip to wing tip with Jonathan, with a GDP a little more than half South Africa’s.

On the international pretension index, which measures size of presidential jets relative to GDP, the UK, with no such dedicated aircraft, scores an award-winning zero; the US, despite Air Force One, a very low 4.8; Brazil also a very low 6; China a modest 12, Australia a less modest 27; India a rather presumptuous 44 (though with a big discount for only leasing the planes); and South Africa a worryingly conceited 92 – though much less so than Nigeria’s rather pompous 166.
And that ranking will only get worse if South Africa does acquire a bigger presidential jet or two, as defence spokesman Ndivhuwo Mabaya has said the ministry is planning to do. “The new, bigger plane is going to be responsible for longer international trips such as (to) Europe and America.

“The current one (the Boeing Business Jet) will be used mainly for domestic regional trips, so that when the one is resting, we make use of the other one,” he was quoted as saying.

The BBJ has a range of more than 11 000km, so one wonders where Zuma is planning to travel with the larger aircraft.

Media have speculated that two Boeing 767-300 ERs, which would cost about $164m (R1.36 billion) each, are on the shopping list.

That would push the total price tag well beyond the R1.6bn the Defence Ministry has reportedly budgeted for the upgrade, though leasing is evidently an option.

Yet the range of the 767 is pretty much the same as the BBJ’s, so that would defeat the official reason for laying out a billion-plus to upgrade.

Or is it really just another case of size mattering?

At 54.9m in length, the 767 would put Zuma well ahead of that upstart Jonathan (who’s been voting funny on the UN Security Council and elsewhere lately) and right up there in formation with the likes of Sarkozy, useful to keep an eye on him, especially when he’s in Africa.

Yes, it would also boost our pretension index to 155, just behind Nigeria’s. But that’s in purely economic terms.

In political terms the upgrade would do no more than express our rightful place as the continent’s superpower and a major emerging player, surely? It’s important to look the part, not so? - The Star

Sisulu in aviation court row

2011-11-21T23:30:00.000-08:00

The Defence establishment failed this week to meet a court date to explain its seemingly bizarre actions in negotiating two separate and mutually exclusive tenders for the same VIP air transport contract at the same time.

With Defence and Military Veterans Minister Lindiwe Sisulu as first respondent, and the Defence Secretariat and Armscor included in the list, the military were required by an order of the Pretoria High Court to provide reasons for the cancellation of an R826 million contract awarded to aviation outfit AdoAir earlier this year.

Thereafter the court would decide whether to order the military bosses to reinstate the contract.

By an earlier high court decision, the government was compelled to cancel a separate contract concluded with provider ExecuJet in terms of a second tender process – entered into while the AdoAir contract was still being finalised, and without AdoAir being informed there were any problems.

But no record of the decision was provided to clear the confusion, nor was any affidavit opposing the AdoAir application lodged with the court. Now a new court date has been set for December 29 for the matter to be argued and finally decided.

DEAL GROUNDED: The Department of Defence has been ordered by the High Court to provide reasons why it cancelled its contract with AdoAir.

INLSA

Confirming that an affidavit opposing the AdoAir application for the reinstatement of its five-year lease contract was in preparation, Defence ministry spokesman Ndivhuwo Mabaya said the matter would from now be handled by the Department of Defence. “We will be asking for the minister’s name to be removed from the list of respondents,” Mabaya said. “This is a question of procurement and she is not in charge of procurement.”

Mabaya went on to explain that the reason no record had been furnished to the court of the cancellation of the AdoAir contract was that no such decision had been taken in the first place.

He said that, though the contract was initially given to AdoAir “the parties couldn’t agree on terms and no contract was actually entered into”.

AdoAir contests Mabaya’s version, specifying in court papers that after the contract was originally awarded in March this year – and the company entered into fine tuning negotiations with the Defence department – no glitches were encountered. Nor was there any failure to agree on terms, nor any objections or reservations registered by the military.

It was, by AdoAir’s account, all systems go, when the bombshell hit – in a report published on the South African Air Force’s website stating the contract had been taken away from AdoAir and a new lease had “been concluded with a large and respected South African company”, later identified as ExecuJet.

The ExecuJet contract, it transpired, had been concluded on the basis of an entirely separate tender for the same service, this one issued by Armscor rather than the Defence department.

Then it got really confusing. With the Defence department failing to respond to AdoAir’s requests for clarification, the chief of the Air Force, Lieutenant Carlo Gagiano stepped in, reassuring AdoAir’s executives that the contract remained valid and would be going ahead – and indicating he would sign off the deal himself.

But on July 4, apparently overriding Gagiano’s intervention, then Secretary of Defence Mpumi Mpofu dispatched a letter indicating the department had reservations around the deal and all bets were off. AdoAir insists that no such reservations had been registered in the appropriate forum of meetings with government stakeholders to finalise the contract.

Mpofu’s claim was therefore regarded as claims not made in good faith.

In the fallout, both Mpofu and Gagiano tendered their resignations, though in the event Mpofu’s was accepted while Gagiano was persuaded to stay on.

Contacted by The Sunday Independent, AdoAir’s lawyer Dr Gerrie Ebersohn dismissed as “absolute nonsense” later justifications from the government that the company had been unable to raise financing to buy the two jets required in terms of the lease agreement. As is recorded in the court papers, Nedbank had guaranteed funding for the deal.

To date, AdoAir has successfully sued for the cancellation of the wildcard Armscor contract awarded to ExecuJet, but confusion still reigns around its own on-off deal with the Defence department.

As recently as August – after the cancellation of the ExecuJet contract – a flurry of meetings took place where, according to AdoAir executive Daniel Joubert in a supplementary affidavit, the department indicated it was “finalising a review of the ‘process’ so the parties can proceed with the tender awarded to the applicant”.

This was especially motivated in light of the fact that South Africa’s presidential Boeing was due to be grounded for maintenance from September and urgent interventions needed to be made.

Then silence again until, finally, on November 1 – with the court order to explain the de facto cancellation of the contract already in force – Sisulu’s attorneys Xulu Liversage Inc said they had been instructed to reopen negotiations and to agree on time frames with a view to validating the AdoAir contract.

But this also proved another false start and the trail went cold yet again.

Meanwhile, VIP aircraft are chartered in terms of special legislation governing so-called “transversal” contracts – those that fall outside of the supply chain management system because they are designed to service more than one government department – administered by the National Treasury. As such they are not subject to the usual checks and balances to which public sector tenders are subjected.

The provision of VIP aircraft has resulted in ongoing scandals in recent months, with Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe left stranded in Finland and President Jacob Zuma piloted to New York by an airman convicted of mercenary activity.

- IOL

Dismay over pay, perks of politicians

2011-09-21T03:12:00.000-07:00

Politicians face a “rising tide of criticism” over their salaries – and the perks that come with their jobs – causing citizens to question their integrity, the Independent Commission for the Remuneration of Public Office Bearers has warned.

The commission has released its long-awaited recommendations on what constitutes acceptable “tools of trade” – resources required by public office-bearers to perform their duties – and how and by whom these benefits should be managed.

It said suitably qualified individuals would avoid seeking public office “when the ethical compass of public office-bearers is subject to challenge”.

“The provision of tools of trade costs the state money and the current exact value of the tools of trade is not possible to quantify as the public office-bearers’ institutions do not track or account properly for (them),” the commission noted.

On Tuesday, Parliament approved a 5 percent salary increase for President Jacob Zuma, bringing his annual package to about R2.48 million.

Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe is to be paid out the presidential pension due to him since he made way for President Jacob Zuma in May 2009, but will “repay” the salary he has earned as Zuma’s deputy.

In effect, he will receive only the difference between what he has earned as deputy president and the higher amount due as his presidential pension. But he will not be earning a salary and receiving a pension.

The commission recently recommended an increase of 5 percent for all public office-bearers. This has been approved by Zuma.

The recommendations also come amid revelations about questionable spending by several politicians.

Recent examples include:

* International Relations and Co-operation Minister Maite Nkoane-Mashabane’s spending nearly R240 000 to charter a jet in Norway after she missed her scheduled flight because she refused to have her handbag X-rayed by airport security.

* Minister of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs Sicelo Shiceka’s blowing R370 000 on a trip to Switzerland to visit his girlfriend, who was in jail on drug-related charges, and R280 000 on a short stay at the exclusive One&Only hotel in Cape Town.

* Public Works Minister Gwen Mahlangu-Nkabinde’s approving the purchase of 17 ministerial homes for Zuma’s expanded cabinet at a cost of R183m to the taxpayer.

* Communications Minister Roy Padayachie’s racking up a car rental bill of R1.2m when he was deputy minister of public administration.

A common theme in these cases is that the spending was said to be within the limits set by the Ministerial Handbook. The handbook contains detailed regulations on the tools of trade applicable for senior politicians.

The commission noted this fact, but suggested that this argument “challenges the appropriateness of those guidelines in the first place”.

Following a public outcry in 2009 over similar splurges, the government undertook to review the handbook – a process that was to have been completed by June last year.

In April, 10 months later, Minister of Public Service and Administration Richard Baloyi said the new handbook would be published “soon, very soon”.

Baloyi said on Tuesday “we have started the process” of reviewing the handbook. But he said the job could not be completed until the commission had made its recommendations on tools of trade. He would meet the commission “soon” to discuss how its recommendations should be incorporated into the handbook.

Commission secretariat chief Peter Makapan said:

“The minister sent a draft of the revised handbook to the commission to get our input. The handbook was discussed at our last meeting on Saturday. When the cabinet reviews the handbook, it will have to consider our recommendations.”

The commission has made only broad recommendations. The details of what ministers may spend on houses, cars, official entertainment, office equipment, travel, staff and other tools of trade will again be left to the cabinet it seems.

Nevertheless, the commission’s recommendations contain a golden thread urging greater transparency and accountability by politicians.

Recently, members of the executive, citing “security” concerns, have refused to answer MPs’ questions about travel and subsistence expenses.

Significantly, the commission singled out “travelling facilities”, saying they should be managed in “the most cost-effective manner”. - Political Bureau

Travelgate informer wins round in court

2011-09-17T22:19:00.000-07:00

Parliment could face a R1-million legal bill after losing the latest round in a running battle with its former chief financial officer, Harry Charlton.

On Friday the Supreme Court of Appeal set aside a Labour Appeals Court order that granted parliament permission to exempt Charlton, the Travelgate whistle-blower, from the Protected Disclosures' Act when it fired him in 2006.

John McRobert, Charlton's legal representative, said the court ruling meant the matter would now go to the labour court for a hearing on the merits of his client's dismissal.

"Our view has always been that parliament is trying to delay," McRobert said.

"Thankfully he's prevailed now, and with costs, so we can go to court and ventilate the whole matter on the merits."

Charlton's victory means that parliament will now have to pay the full costs of the appeal process, including the fees of senior counsel.

A source close to the legal process, who asked not to be named, said parliament faced a legal bill of at least R1-million.

Secretary to parliament Zingile Dingani on Friday declined to comment, saying he was not aware of the court ruling.

"You are the first person to call me about this. I've not heard anything about it, not even my legal people have told me about it so I have no comment to make."

Charlton was dismissed for "work-related misconduct", but he insisted that he had been sacked for blowing the whistle on the abuse of parliament's travel scheme by MPs which involved more than R16-million.

He challenged his axing, arguing it was unfair because the information he provided was covered by the Protected Disclosures' Act.

But parliament argued that MPs were neither employees nor employers in terms of the act.

The Labour Court dismissed parliament's application for exception, but the case went to the Labour Appeals Court which upheld the exception application.

Charlton then challenged this ruling in the Supreme Court of Appeals. - timelive

Minister’s handbag incident costs taxpayers extra

2011-09-16T23:15:00.001-07:00

The contents of International Relations Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane's handbag are not up for discussion, her spokesman said on Friday.

“I can't believe you are asking that,” Clayson Monyela said when asked why she recently refused to have her handbag scanned at an airport in Norway.

“It's not an issue we want to debate... She was strong and defended her principle, and we have moved on from there.”

Monyela said the Vienna Convention exempted diplomats from luggage searches at airports, and the minister - as the country's top diplomat - was right to stand her ground.

“At every airport, no diplomats are searched. This is why she refused.”

The minister's handbag drama in Norway cost South African taxpayers more than R200,000.

Nkoana-Mashabane, who was on a state visit to that country earlier this month, refused to have her bag passed through an X-ray scanner at an airport in Oslo, the Mail & Guardian reported.

As a result, she missed her scheduled commercial flight to her next diplomatic engagement in Bulgaria. A private-charter executive jet, which cost R235,343, was then hired to transport her.

It was unclear what she was carrying in her handbag and why she was keen to avoid security screening.

The Democratic Alliance and the Freedom Front Plus expressed outrage over the incident.

DA spokeswoman Lindiwe Mazibuko said Nkoana-Mashabane should pay back the money out of her own pocket.

“Yet again, ordinary South Africans have had to foot the bill for the vanity and excesses of those who are meant to be public servants.

“Government ministers should be subject to the same security regulations as every other airline passenger, and there should be no provision that allows members of the executive to bill the public for their superiority complexes.”

The DA also wanted her to reimburse her department for the cost of the flight she missed, as it resulted in her missing the meeting in Bulgaria.

“It is time for members of our government to understand that they are not more important than the citizens they serve,” Mazibuko said in a statement.

“The handbag incident underscores just how out of touch this government is with the economic realities of the majority of South Africans.”

FFPlus spokesman Corné Mulder said the minister could have handled the situation differently.

“It is absurd that South Africa has to waste money because the minister insisted on her right to diplomatic immunity,” he said in a statement.

“She could have seen to it that her political counterpart in Oslo was contacted immediately to resolve the situation.”

She should have allowed her handbag through the scanner so as to not miss her flight, said Mulder.

He asked why the South African embassy in Oslo had not made prior arrangements to prevent the “embarrassing and expensive” situation. - Sapa

So it begins: Hotel secrecy for safety of ministers: Manyi

2011-09-08T13:09:00.000-07:00

Ministers could not answer questions about their use of hotels as such detail could be used to “ambush” them, government spokesman Jimmy Manyi said on Thursday.

“It is indeed a security issue and it would be quite frankly irresponsible for ministers to put in on (a) website,” Manyi told a regular post-Cabinet briefing in Cape Town.

“It would be a serious, serious breach of security.”

He said Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe had at Wednesday's Cabinet meeting reiterated a call to ministers to answer written parliamentary questions timeously.

The media asked why ministers were citing security reasons for declining to respond to questions from the opposition aimed at establishing how taxpayers' money was spent on travel and accommodation.

Water and Environment Affairs Minister Edna Molewa and State Security Minister Siyabonga Cwele recently did so in response to questions from the Democratic Alliance.

Last year, the defence ministry declined to give details of President Jacob Zuma's local and international flights since he took office, stating that this could put his life at risk.

Manyi said even if the information being requested was old, it could still be of use to criminals planning to attack members of the executive, and could therefore not be made public.

“The issue here is that where two years ago, up to the same date, the minister keeps going to the same place, they are mapping out a clear roadmap for what criminals should do, because we are saying here is the predictable situation,” he said.

“So if you want to do an ambush why don't you target this place? This is the context.”

Manyi said on such questions the minister would provide the information to Motlanthe's office, who could then share it privately with the MP who asked the question.

“If certain of the questions pose a security risk, ministers will go and tell the leader of government business what those are, so that opposition members can go to the leader of government business and check that out,” Manyi said.

“So in that way the question is answered in a way that does not compromise security.”

He dismissed a journalist's suggestion that if criminals were planning to attack ministers, they would more likely do so between their easily identifiable offices and official residences.

“They are forever out there in their constituencies. They are criss-crossing the country. They are never in their homes,” Manyi said.

DA MP David Maynier, who put the questions to Molewa and Cwele and planned to ask the same information from other ministers, said he had not been told he could obtain the answers from Motlanthe's office.

He dismissed Manyi's arguments on security.

“I see no reason why a retrospective answer giving the names of hotels, the duration and the cost of the stay would endanger the ministers.

“I see it as an attempt to cover up the 1/8Higher Education Minister 3/8 Blade Nzimande syndrome of ministers staying in luxury hotels at great expense to the taxpayer.”

It was revealed last year that Nzimande spent 15 nights in the Mount Nelson in Cape Town, one of the most luxurious hotels in the country.

- Sapa

Parliament writes off Travelgate losses

2011-08-30T08:20:00.000-07:00

Parliament has decided to write off the 12 million rand in outstanding debt owed to it by MPs who were implicated in the “Travelgate” scandal.

A letter from National Assembly speaker Max Sisulu to Democratic Alliance MP Ian Davidson also said that no further action would be taken against politicians implicated as the records of the travel agency used, Bathong Travel, were destroyed.

“As the debt was not recoverable and still on Parliament's books, it resulted in an audit query. Taking into consideration both these factors (the query and the fact that there were no records), the administration advised the presiding officers to write off the debts. In the light of this it is not possible to recover monies from members,” Sisulu's letter said.

Only six out of 79 of the MPs implicated in the scandal have been criminally prosecuted and, according to Sisulu, the remaining 73 would not be charged.

“I trust that this settles the matter”, concluded Sisulu in his letter.

However, Davidson said it did not and that if the matter were left as it were, then it would reinforce the perception that public-office bearers could steal from the people of SA with impunity.

“We cannot endorse a mass bail-out of Members of Parliament (MPs) whose conduct was both illegal and morally reprehensible,” Davidson said.

Davidson said he would write to Ben Turok, Ethics Committee chairperson, and request that, in light of the list of Travelgate MPs being made public, that he fully investigate all who have failed to pay back the money owed to Parliament.

“The action taken by the Ethics Committee against Yolanda Botha last week should be the rule, not the exception. MPs that have defrauded and undermined the integrity of Parliament must be investigated and brought to book,” he said.

The list of MPs implicated in the Travelgate scandal included a number of high-ranking African National Congress members, including State Security Minister Siyabonga Cwele, whose wife has been found guilty of drug smuggling. - I-Net Bridge

Taxpayers to pay Travelgate debt

2011-08-13T08:00:00.000-07:00

Taxpayers will fork out millions of rands to pay off debts racked up by MPs in the Travelgate scandal.

Despite numerous undertakings to act against MPs over the years since the scandal broke, Parliament has failed to recover about R12.2 million owed by its members after the institution controversially purchased the debtors’ book from the liquidators of Bathong Travel in 2009.

Bathong was one of six travel agencies implicated in the infamous and unresolved travel voucher scandal.

Information released this week has revealed that when the Bathong debts were purchased for R380 000 MPs still owed about R5.4m, of which the liquidators had managed to recover only R413 303 – or 7.6 percent – from 19 of the 89 MPs on the agency’s books.

More recent information has shown that this amount eventually rose to about R17m as more “debts” were uncovered, leaving Parliament in the red to the tune of about R12.2m. This debt will now be written off, Secretary to Parliament Zingile Dingani told journalists in Cape Town this week, which leaves taxpayers to foot the bill.

Parliament buried this information until Eastern Cape High Court Judge Sytze Alkema ordered its release on July 28, when the Centre for Social Accountability, an NGO from Rhodes University, successfully challenged Parliament’s refusal to provide the information via the Promotion of Access to Information Act.

Judge Alkema had harsh words for Parliament, saying it was clear throughout the process that it was more concerned with its public image – and those of its members – than with getting to the truth or collecting the outstanding debts.

“The above entries (from parliamentary minutes) indicate a strong desire, for reasons not known but giving rise to wide speculation, on the part of Parliament to prevent those claims from being pursued. It was particularly anxious to protect those claims from public scrutiny in a court of law,” the judge said.

“Parliament was acutely aware of the public interest in the matter … It went to some lengths to prevent the publication of information contained in the schedules (the list of 89) in order to protect it against adverse public opinion – even purchasing the claims. But public opinion is not the same as public interest. Public interest is at stake when the structure of institutional democracy is threatened by a culture of ‘secretive and unresponsive’ government,” Judge Alkema concluded.

- IOL

Hawks reveal Arms deal bombshell

2011-07-31T08:43:00.001-07:00

The Hawks have taken the first step towards re-opening the multibillion-rand arms deal probe - which could expose those who took bribes to prosecution.

The head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigations, Anwar Dramat, wrote to the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) on Wednesday informing it of the Hawks' intention to speak to European investigators to establish whether or not criminal charges should be brought against any South Africans.

The Hawks controversially dropped the probe into the arms deal in September last year, arguing that prospects of successful prosecutions were slim.

In a letter to Scopa chairman Themba Godi, Dramat says the Hawks are following up on last month's admission by Swedish defence group Saab that its former British partner, BAE Systems, paid R24-million in bribes to secure a South African contract for 26 JAS Gripen fighter jets. All told, BAE systems spent R1-billion on what it called "commissions" in the arms deal.

Dramat writes : "I have already instructed two officials ... to approach the relevant authorities in both Sweden (National Anti-Corruption Unit) and the UK (Serious Fraud Office). Subject to approval by these authorities, (we) will assess the available information with a view to determine whether there is information which points to crime/s in South Africa ... whether it could be converted into relevant evidence by means of formal mutual legal assistance processes. It is also important to determine from the mentioned authorities what their investigations have revealed and whether the information obtained by them can be shared with the (Hawks)."

He could not predict how long the investigation might take.

Godi confirmed receiving Dramat's letter, saying: "It's a brave and correct decision ... unless justice is being done and is seen as being done on this matter, it's going to continue to cast a cold shadow over the political landscape of the country."

DA spokesman on defence David Maynier welcomed the development, saying: "The Hawks have effectively re-opened the investigation into the arms deal."

Despite several attempts, the Presidency yesterday failed to comment on the development.

Investigations by the UK Serious Fraud Office into BAE's dealings revealed that the arms manufacturer's R1-billion in "commissions" in the South African deal dated back to 1992.

They claimed that among the beneficiaries was FTNSA Consulting, a company linked to former First National Bank chairman Basil Hersov.

Businessman Fana Hlongwane, a one-time adviser of former minister of defence Joe Modise, allegedly received handsome "commissions" amounting to millions from BAE. Hlongwane also worked as a consultant for the arms manufacturer.

News of the Hawks' move came as a court battle continued in the High Court in Pretoria over the financial dealings of prominent South Africans - including some connected to the arms deal - via Ansbacher Bank.

The Sunday Times can reveal that senior ANC national executive committee member and former spy boss Billy Masetlha met former FirstRand CEO Paul Harris in 2009 to try to broker an out-of-court settlement in a 10-year-old case involving FirstRand and the International Tax Law Institute (ITLI).

ITLI founder, international tax guru Barry Spitz, wants FirstRand to open Ansbacher's books on about 500 of its prestigious clients, including Hersov. If this happens, South Africa could find out how much and whether senior ANC leaders received payments related to the arms deal.

The meeting, facilitated by former Denel CEO John Lamola, was held at the Saxon Hotel in Johannesburg in May 2009, a few weeks after President Jacob Zuma was sworn into office.

Masetlha confirmed that he had held meetings with both parties in the dispute, but claimed he was acting as a "concerned citizen", not on the ANC's behalf. He said the case could have economic implications for the country.

"Both sides were interested in my intervention to say ... what should they do in order to avoid a fallout which might ... in our interest as a country ... create a hell of a lot of problems for all of us.

"I am not scared of the arms deal. That dirty linen is neither here nor there. I must say now, as a member of the ANC NEC, that I am not scared of anything on that thing because we are going to shock you in terms of how we are going to deal with it,"

said Masetlha, without elaborating. However, he did note that the party wanted to avoid having the matter reach court.

Spitz contradicted Masetlha, saying the ITLI had drafted the proposed settlement "with the approval of the ANC", and the ruling party had requested the settlement be kept confidential.

"This was requested by the ANC, which obviously has its reasons for wanting it," he said.

Spitz added that the information sought from FirstRand was of interest to a "vast number of other persons and agencies ... political, financial and corporate, both in South Africa and abroad".

The Sunday Times has seen the proposed settlement document, which Masetlha signed in his capacity as "political head of the ANC Policy Institute".

In it, Masetlha undertook to "personally ensure the destruction of all the confidential information held by the ITLI and/or its privy parties ... and will further, to the extent possible, ensure that no confidential information is retained in any location open to the public, but not under their control".

But Harris, in a letter to Lamola, rejected this proposal, saying: "This is a very complex case and any involvement of outside parties other than our lawyers is not the proper process."

FirstRand spokesman Sam Moss confirmed the meeting between Harris and Masetlha.

- Tmeslive

Alootin Continuously

2011-04-10T07:56:00.000-07:00

Affairs Minister Sicelo Shiceka spent hundreds of thousands of rands of taxpayers money on luxury hotels, first class airtickets and on visiting a jailed girlfriend in Switzerland since taking up his Cabinet post in 2008, the Sunday Times newspaper reported.

"Minister Shiceka has abused taxpayers money to lead a lifestyle befitting a multimillionaire," reported the newspaper, which claimed to be in possession of "official documents" that showed Shiceka had started his spending spree immediately after being appointed to the Cabinet in September 2008.

The accusations include Shiceka, who has been on sick leave since the beginning of March, and his personal assistant flying first class to visit his girlfriend in prison in Switzerland.

The minister also allegedly spent R32 000 on hiring a chauffeur-driven limo to take him to the prison.

The newspaper said Shiceka and his staff spent R640 000 in one year to stay at Cape Town's five star hotel, the One&Only, of which R280 000 was spent "on him alone".

The minister spent another R55 793 for a one night stay at the luxurious hotel during President Jacob Zuma's first State of the Nation speech. He reportedly justified taking a sangoma with him by saying the man was his "father figure".

Invoices 'fabricated'
More than R160 000 was spent in eight months on flying 10 of Shiceka's family members -- including his estranged wife and current girlfriend -- around the country at taxpayers' expense.

The Sunday Times said Shiceka tried to have his department pay for a four night R357 120 hotel bill for himself, his mother and his bodyguard at the Lesotho Sun in Maseru.

Shiceka told the Sunday Times that he had never been in a limousine or stayed at the Lesotho Sun.

He claimed that all documentary proof presented to him, including invoices, emails and faxes had been doctored or fabricated.

"I have never been in a limousine. I have never stayed in the Lesotho Sun," Shiceka said.

He did however, admit to spending more than R55 000 for one night at the One&Only.

"What is wrong with that," he asked.

"Every other hotel was full."

He also justified putting up his "father figure" at the One&Only.

"The ministerial handbook allows it," he said.

Questions - Sisulu's VIP jet decision

2011-04-03T17:52:00.000-07:00

The decision by defence minister Lindiwe Sisulu to lease two new aircraft for transporting VIPs, at a cost of R800 million, was cause for concern, the DA said.

"Why are we spending R800m on aircraft for VIPs when millions of people do not have housing, health and basic services," party spokesman David Maynier said.

"The ministerial handbook is clear: the use of defence force aircraft for these purposes should be the exception, not the rule," he said.

The tender was apparently awarded to AdoAir, a company owned by Nigerian businessman Adegboyega Olulade.

The tender document reportedly specified that the aircraft should be able to transport at least 17 people, have sleeping quarters for two passengers as well as onboard communication systems and two conference facilities.

"The use of the SA Air Force for the purpose of ferrying around VIPs needs close scrutiny," Maynier said.

The party would call on the chairman of the joint standing committee on defence, Jerome Maake, to schedule hearings on the matter.

- Timeslive

Zuma wives roll out in style

2011-03-08T18:28:00.000-08:00

He has a presidential jet and vehicle convoys on standby, but the president wants seven more luxury cars permanently available – for his wives.

The Presidential Protection and Security Services are looking for a vehicle hire business that can provide a luxury vehicle available “at all times” in each of seven provinces, including in President Jacob Zuma’s home province of KwaZulu-Natal.

According to the tender document for the proposed contract, the vehicle must be a “luxury Class A1” sedan or 4x4. Examples of these were listed as a Mercedes-Benz S600; BMW 7 series; Audi A8 or A6; Mercedes-Benz ML; BMW X5 series; Audi Q7; Toyota Prado; Toyota Land Cruiser; or Nissan Pathfinder.

- IOL

Presidency queries costs after R20m spent on charter flights

2011-02-19T19:45:00.000-08:00

President Jacob Zuma's office wants to clip the wings of his globe-trotting predecessor Thabo Mbeki, complaining that his travels to war-torn Sudan are expensive and "unsustainable".

Mbeki's travels cost taxpayers R20.5-million in the 18 months between April 2009 and October last year. This includes 11 chartered flights . The figure excludes Mbeki's trips so far this year.

Mbeki was appointed by the African Union in 2009 to head a High Level Implementation Panel which oversaw Sudan's general elections last year and the recent referendum to decide the future of southern Sudan.

Mbeki received international praise for his role in ensuring a peaceful referendum last month, but Zuma failed to acknowledge this role during his State of the Nation address last week. He only did so - following public criticism of the snub - in his reply to the parliamentary debate this week . The snub was interpreted as a sign of the continuing tensions between the two leaders.

It has now emerged that there is unease in the Presidency about Mbeki's AU missions in countries such as Sudan and the Ivory Coast.

In an internal Presidency memo, which has been seen by the Sunday Times, director-general Dr Cassius Lubisi complains about the costs of transporting Mbeki and suggests the AU should fund such missions.

"I will seek clarity on the responsibility of the AU in the funding of missions involving South African leaders. The current arrangement is not sustainable and will require some changes," Lubisi writes in a memo dated December 21 2010.

A Presidency official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told the Sunday Times there were concerns about the escalating costs of Mbeki's trips which, the official said, rivalled those of Zuma's travels.

Indications are that the government will limit Mbeki's travel, with the Department of International Relations saying that the former president's mission in Sudan had been completed.

This was disputed by Mbeki sympathisers, who argued that there were still matters for him to settle, and pointed to a 2009 communiqué by the AU Peace and Security Council which wanted his mandate extended beyond the referendum.

Late last year, the AU assigned Mbeki to Ivory Coast following the political crisis caused by President Laurent Gbagbo's refusal to step down after he was said to have lost a disputed presidential election.

But Mbeki has been left out of the recently appointed AU panel to resolve the standoff. Zuma is a member of the panel, which is meeting in Mauritania and will head for Ivory Coast this week.

As a former head of state, Mbeki is flown by the SA Air Force, and other transport and accommodation costs are funded from the Presidency budget. Mbeki's office has to request permission from the Presidency before he undertakes trips.

Ministry of Defence officials told the Sunday Times that Mbeki regularly used chartered flights for his trips to Sudan because of the size of his entourage, which could included as many as 15 people - sometimes beyond the capabilities of the air force's airplanes, said spokesman Ndivhuwo Mabaya.

Although the Department of Defence has consistently refused to divulge Zuma's travel costs, it recently gave MP David Mayner a breakdown of the cost of Mbeki's trips.

In response to a parliamentary question submitted by the DA representative, the department revealed that Mbeki's flights cost R3.6-million in 2009 and close to R17-million last year.

Presidency spokesman Zizi Kodwa referred questions to the departments of International Relations and of Defence. He would not comment on director-general Lubisi's views, saying he was not aware of them.

International Relations spokesman Clayson Monyela said the bulk of Mbeki's work in Sudan had been completed as it related to the referendum.

"There may be a few outstanding matters like the ... issue of the oil and citizenship. At the time when the North and the South deliberate on these matters he may be called in," said Monyela.

The Minister of International Relations, Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, was in charge of the post-conflict resolution committee, he said.

Mbeki's spokesman, Mukoni Ratshitanga, would not be drawn on the matter, saying that he was not aware of the issue.

- Timeslive

Govt denies cover-up of Zuma's flight schedule

2010-10-05T10:10:00.000-07:00

PARLIAMENT - Government on Tuesday side-stepped opposition objections to President Jacob Zuma’s flight details being kept secret, saying classified information was overseen by Parliament’s Joint Standing Committee on Defence.

Defence ministry spokesman Ndivhuwo Mabaya said Democratic Alliance MP David Maynier had preferred public grandstanding to approaching the relevant body to obtain the information for oversight purposes.

“It is in this Committee that any sensitive and classified information from the South African National Defence Force must be tabled.

“However the member of Parliament ignored this rule because his main interest is not receiving the information for oversight purposes, but for media grandstanding.”

Maynier on Monday objected to Defence Minister Lindiwe Sisulu’s decision to classify details of Zuma’s flights.

In written reply to a parliamentary question on Monday, Sisulu said Zuma undertook 27 international and 133 domestic flights from May 9 last year to date.

Maynier had asked Sisulu for details of each flight, including the dates, departure and arrival points, and the costs involved.

Sisulu declined to answer, saying the “information required is classified and may not be made public”.

She also advised him to put this request to the Joint Standing Committee on Defence and Military Veterans, instead.

In a statement later, Maynier said this information had been made public in the past.

Sisulu’s reply raised questions about why she was “now covering up details about flights” undertaken by Zuma.

“The fact is that the minister’s refusal to provide full information on flights undertaken by President Jacob Zuma is part of a trend of defence department resistance to being properly accountable to Parliament.

“The real question is what is the minister trying to cover up. Is she trying to cover up details of the routing of the aircraft, the names of the passengers or the exorbitant costs of operating the aircraft?” Maynier asked.

The question comes amid intense debate about the Protection of Information Bill, which critics say will give the state near unchecked power to classify information.

-Sapa

Cele: I can afford to carry R20000 & not report it's loss

2010-09-15T23:45:00.000-07:00

"How much do I earn? I can afford to have that amount of money with me with the salary I earn."

This was national police commissioner General Bheki Cele's response when asked why he was carrying R20,000 in a bag which was stolen off an SAA business-class flight in May.

Responding to questions posed by DA MP Dianne Kohler Barnard this week, Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa confirmed in a written reply to Parliament that the stolen bag containing R20,000 belonged to Cele.

This comes after it was alleged that Cele had not reported the incident to the police.

On Wednesday, Cele said he had reported the incident to police at OR Tambo International Airport but had not had time to open a case docket. The matter was, therefore, not investigated.

Mthethwa had said an investigation had taken place, but he did not provide details.

Cele was returning from KwaZulu-Natal after having attended to official business when the money was stolen.

Mthethwa said the money was Cele's private money and was not intended for public use.

Asked by Kohler Barnard whether it was standard for the commissioner to carry such a large amount of cash on his person, Mthethwa said there were no further details.

Kohler Barnard has submitted follow-up questions to the ministry to flesh out the details of the case. She was not satisfied with the response as there were too many unanswered questions.

Kohler Barnard added: "I find it most peculiar and odd that we have a police commissioner who would choose to carry that amount of cash in a bag."

In June, a weekly newspaper reported that Cele's residence in Durban had been burgled. It was alleged that R1 million in cash had been stolen.

But the commissioner said the report was fabricated. "My house was never broken into, I don't know where that story came from," he said.

Cele said he earns more than R1m a year. "Do the calculations yourself. I can afford to draw that amount; not once, not twice, but as many times as I like," he said.- The Star

Government 'blows R1,5bn on luxuries'

2010-07-15T07:51:00.000-07:00

Since taking office, President Jacob Zuma's government has spent a total of R1,5-billion on luxury cars, five-star hotel accommodation, parties, tickets for sports events and "self-congratulatory" advertising, the DA said on Thursday.

"This kind of spending represents a gross misallocation of public funds," Democratic Alliance national spokeswoman Lindiwe Mazibuko told a parliamentary media briefing.

The R1,5-billion was R500-million more than the figure reported by her party in April this year, she said.

According to the DA's latest Wasteful Expenditure Monitor, released at the briefing, the national department to "waste" the most was public works.

"It spent approximately R99-million on upgrades to the residences of public officials when the Zuma administration came into office," the document states.

The document says the most wasteful provincial government, "by quite a large margin", is African National Congress-run KwaZulu-Natal.

"It spent R120,5-million on a variety of items, including unnecessary rental space, luxury cars and artwork."

Defence Minister Lindiwe Sisulu was responsible for the biggest expenditure on cars since April, her department having spent about R7-million on four Mercedes-Benz vehicles.

The monitor says the total spent on new vehicles by Zuma's government now totals R65,8-million.

The total spent on parties, conferences and similar events now totalled R209-million, including R300 000 spent on a party by the Tshwane Metro Council to celebrate executive mayor Gwen Ramokgopa's state of the city address and a gala dinner at the Pretoria city hall.

The document also contains details of the millions spent on World Cup tickets by Cabinet members, municipalities and state-owned enterprises.

The biggest spender in this regard was the department of transport, which forked out R20-million for the event. Trade and industry spent R16,7-million, while Eskom spent R12-million on tickets.

The total spent on tickets to sporting events was R135,9-million.

According to the monitor, the state has also spent R209-million on parties and conferences, and a further R241-million on "unnecessary property rentals, hotel stays and property renovations".

This included R65-million for "upgrades to facilities servicing President Zuma's private home at Nkandla", which came in the form of a helicopter pad, clinic, visitors' centre and parking lot, among others.

It also included the R515 000 spent by Communications Minister Siphiwe Nyanda on "prolonged stays" at luxury five-star establishments, including Cape Town's Mount Nelson and Twelve Apostles hotels.

Asked if a portion of the total R1,5-billion spent by government could not be deemed "necessary" expenditure, Mazibuko conceded it could be, but said the scale of government's wasteful spending was such that this "wouldn't make much of a dent" in the total figure.

She said the fact that the total had increased by R500 000 over the past three months was "incredibly depressing", and it appeared that the ANC was ignoring Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan's call last year to curb such spending.

According to the Wasteful Expenditure Monitor, "almost all the items of wasteful expenditure tracked... have occurred during the Zuma administration's term in office". - Sapa

Zuma's kids fly high at taxpayers' expense

2010-02-08T05:04:00.000-08:00

Did you know that President Jacob Zuma's 20 children were entitled to six domestic flights a year at the taxpayers' expense?

This is according to the ministerial handbook.

The presidency confirmed yesterday that even though there was an attempt to develop guidelines specifically for the presidency, they "currently rely on the ministerial handbook".

"Dependant children are each entitled to six single domestic economy class tickets per annum to reunite with their parents during the member's regular travel between Cape Town and Pretoria," the handbook said.

'We need to establish how much money is spent'

The dependant children "should make use of bus/shuttle services between airports and the place of residence if they are not accompanied by one or both of their parents".

A member's aide or SA Police Service driver may transport the children to and from the airport. However, only under special circumstances, government transport may be utilised to transport children from the airport to their home."

Based on a random Independent Newspapers calculation, based on the price of just the cheapest flights from and to Cape Town, Zuma's children's flight bill could come to almost R300 000 a year.

If all of them are on state medical aid, something his senior aide Zizi Kodwa is refusing to disclose, the taxpayers will have to foot that bill, too.

When the president retires the state pays the "full amount" for medical expenses for him, his wives and dependants.

It's still a conundrum as to who is entitled to the president's pension, Even though the children of South African presidents are not necessarily provided with bodyguards, the minister of police could - after a security assessment - instruct members of the presidential protection unit to provide security for all of them.

According to the handbook, the spouses of ministers and the president are "jointly entitled to 30 single domestic business class flight tickets per annum at the expense of the relevant department".

The DA on Sunday said it was also trying to determine how much was budgeted for the "spousal office" which takes care of the benefits and privileges of first ladies.

The presidency could not divulge the budget for the spousal office, which also looks after the deputy president's spouse, but a government official said it would "definitely" cost more to run the spousal unit, as Zuma had a bigger family than his predecessors.

DA leader Helen Zille said: "We need to establish how much money is spent and what it costs South Africa, because it is not clear in the (presidency's) budget."

In his medium-term Budget speech last year Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan said the budget for the presidency, which supported the spousal office, was expected to increase from R325 million in 2009 to R333m this year.

A former presidential aide, who preferred to remain anonymous, said while the first ladies did not receive any allowances from the state, the spousal office took care of all their needs.

All of the three first ladies, Sizakele Khumalo, Nompumelelo Ntuli, and Thobeka Madiba, who Zuma married last month in Nkandla, have equal status, according to the Customary Marriages Act. Zuma is also engaged to Bongi Ngema.

It is not clear whether his girlfriend, Sonono Khoza, could be afforded the same status as Ngema.

The presidency has also kept mum on how many of the women in the president's life will attend the State of the Nation address next week.

According to the handbook for members of the executive, which recognises polygamous marriages, any of Zuma's wives and children can accompany him either on official business or holiday trips.

It is still a conundrum as to who is entitled to the president's pension.

According to recommendations of the Independent Commission for the Remuneration of Public Office Bearers, pension benefits payable to widows or widowers and dependants in the event of the president's death would be 50 percent of the pension benefit on his death.

Spokeswoman for the presidency, Matshepo Seedat, said they could not respond to questions about the spousal office as they needed more time to clarify details.

- Sunday Independent

Armscor spent R3m on holidays

2009-12-12T01:22:00.000-08:00

The DA wants Armscor to account for splurging more than

R3 million on luxury hotels and first and business-class air tickets "like Fortune 500 fat cats"

to attend international defence shows while complaining to Treasury about insufficient funds to carry out its mandate.

In a written reply to a parliamentary question by DA defence spokesman David Maynier, Defence and Military Veterans Minister Lindiwe Sisulu produced a detailed schedule of trips.

It details visits to Malayasia, France, Qatar, Pakistan, the United Arab Emirates, Brazil and the UK as well as journeys within South Africa between April 2008 and April 2009 - and shows that an SANDF general and the spouses of Armscor's top brass often tagged along - at Armscor's expense.

"The DA believes that it is outrageous for Popo Molefe, chairman of the Armscor Board, Sipho Thomo, suspended CEO, and senior staff to spend nearly R3m on attending international defence exhibitions all over the world," Maynier said yesterday

"The top management at Armscor always complain that they do not get enough money from government, but then rather than tighten their belts, they behave like Fortune 500 fat cats, flying first class, inviting spouses and guests along for the ride and staying at five-star hotels."

He pointed out that in the Armscor 2008/2009 annual report, Thomo, who is facing disciplinary charges, complained that the Department of Defence transfer payments over the past three years amounted to a decrease in real terms, and because of that there was "a long term risk that Armscor may not be able to fulfill its mandate".

Armscor's report showed a net decline in profits of R6.1m and a net loss of about R9m. This is despite the fact that the government transfer to the entity was over R50m more this year than last year's R479m, without which Armscor would have been R441.1m in the red at the end of the financial year.

"The DA will therefore write to Nyami Booi, Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans, and ask that Sipho Mkwanazi, Acting CEO of Armscor, account to Parliament and provide a briefing on what austerity measures will be put in place to stop wasteful expenditure at Armscor."

He said a total of R2 902 843 was spent on flights, accommodation, transport as well as S&T for attending eight defence exhibitions.

Nearly R1.4m was spent on flights including first-class and business-class international flights. The most expensive trip was R95 924 for Molefe and his wife to fly to London for the Defence Services and Equipment International exhibition in London in September last year.

Hotel stays at luxury resorts like the Shangri-La in Malaysia and Sheraton Khalidaya in the UAE, amounted to nearly R1.15m. The UAE IDEX 2009 defence exhibition in February saw Thomo splurging R72 792 on a four-night stay at the Khalidaya.

Maynier said Thomo spent R12 382 on accommodation for another four nights at the Radisson in Cape Town during last year's Africa Aerospace and Defence expo.

A total of R197 450 was spent on first class flights and five star hotels for General Solly Shoke, Chief of the Army, who attended South Africa's Denel Saab Aerostructures exhibition in Malaysia in April and the UAE trip in February.

"Quite why it was necessary for General Shoke to attend the defence exhibitions at Armscor's expense is not clear," Maynier said.

This article was originally published on page 2 of The Independent on Saturday on December 12, 2009

More O3 land machines

2009-12-10T21:57:00.000-08:00

Cape Town - A deputy minister has bought herself a Porsche as her official vehicle, but Richard Baloyi, minister of public service and administration, insists no rules have been broken.

On Thursday it came to light that Hlengiwe Mkhize, deputy minister of correctional services, has bought herself a brand-new Porsche Cayenne as her official vehicle.

Taxpayers shelled out R760 000 for this luxury speedster, including accessories such as cruise control.

Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, the minister of correctional services, said in answer to a question from the DA in Parliament, that she has bought a Lexus LS460 worth R970 000.

Baloyi couldn't understand why the DA MPs continued to pose questions regarding expensive official vehicles, since the Cabinet has already "settled" the matter on various occasions.

'Used for state duties'

According to a statement, the minister is concerned about opposition MPs' stubbornness regarding the matter.

"Official vehicles don't belong to the ministers. They are and remain state property, and simply serve as a tool used by ministers to fulfil their duties," said Baloyi.

He continued along the same vein, stating that the ministerial manual entitles each minister to buy two vehicles - one for Cape Town and one for Pretoria. The price of the vehicle may not exceed 70% of the minister's annual compensation package.

This package is worth over R1.7m.

"MPs must understand that no minister has broken the rules," said Baloyi... - News24

Skypigs in Taxis from July to July

2009-11-21T01:14:00.000-08:00

The South African Air Force (SAAF) spent six times longer flying VIPs than it did training pilots in fighter craft last year. This is despite a chronic shortage of pilots that experts say has already wiped out the country's air-combat capabilities.

The department of defence's 2008-09 annual report records 325 flying hours for air-combat capability in the SAAF's medium fighter craft Gripens and Cheetahs. By contrast the VIP fleet flew 1932 hours in the same period -- 1570 hours domestically and 362 internationally.

The Mail & Guardian has established that Defence and Military Veterans Minister Lindiwe Sisulu made 23 trips using the VIP fleet from September to October 2009, on three occasions travelling with her son.

The 325 flying hours for medium fighter craft recorded last year represents a plummeting from 2 448 hours in 2007-08 and 2 084 hours 2006-07. The SAAF has cited budgetary constraints in Parliament for the decline.

Arms deal whistle-blower Richard Young said that the SAAF did not have combat-ready capability and that the country has only six capable jet fighter pilots. And DA defence spokesperson David Maynier said Sisulu’s recent trips could have cost taxpayers as much as R2,3-million.

But defence department spokesman Ndivhuwo Mabaya told the M&G "the costs [of flying VIPs] actually do not exist as this is part of the SAAF operations on a daily basis". "The fixed cost to the SAAF as per our own price when we charge other departments is R14 748,54 per trip with a special rate for internal use by the minister," he said.

"It must be noted that this cost will be incurred [whether] a minister flies or not, because the planes will have to be used for training, pilots paid, etc, and runway[s] will still have to be maintained," he said.

More Cabinet members should use the air force, Mabaya said, "as [this] will provide real flying time for the pilots and also because resources for training are already allocated and many of our senior pilots have cited lack of flying time for leaving the air force".

Asked specifically about the rates for flying Sisulu Mabaya said: "We fly planes as our main business, [so] we can actually fly Cabinet members for free. The more hours we fly the better for our pilots and the country."

Young said the notion that these flights were free was "simply nonsense": "Flying not only has costs, but reduces the life of the aircraft." And "one does not fly a Cabinet minister about in order to train pilots," he said.

"Flying hours are required in all types of aircraft, but there should be maximum use in true combat training aircraft such as Pilatus, Hawk and the two-seater Gripen, and a minimum in other classes," Young said.

Since the beginning of the year Sisulu has refused to answer DA parliamentary questions about her use of the SAAF VIP fleet, and has not comprehensively responded to questions about the 222 national and international flights for VIPs undertaken by the SAAF.

The DA has in previous years routinely requested, and received, a detailed record of VIP flights from the defence department. This year the department stopped providing these records.

Despite this, records of VIP flights for the period January 1 2007 to October 16 2008 tabled in Parliament suggest Mabaya's flight cost estimations miss the mark by a mile. The records show that the cheapest national VIP flight was made by former deputy president Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka in May 2007 from Waterkloof air force base in Pretoria to Port Elizabeth and cost R32 651,75.

"From time to time it may be necessary and justified for the minister to use military aircraft to deal with urgent matters relating to the defence force, especially after the military unions trashed the Union Buildings," Maynier said. "But this is a very poor attempt to 'spin' the routine use of military aircraft by the minister.

"It is simply not cost-effective to use military aircraft if the average cost per domestic flight is R100 000. The minister ought to be making use of commercial aircraft for domestic flights, which would save the taxpayer more than R90 000 per domestic flight."

In August, the defence ministry told Parliament that 48% of posts for combat pilots were vacant, as were 34% of posts for helicopter pilots and 30% of posts for transport pilots.

At the time Sisulu said she was "personally really satisfied with the state of readiness" of the defence force. - M&G

Why fly when you can claim twice the fare

2009-11-18T02:09:00.000-08:00

MPs might still be skimming off thousands of rands in taxpayers money through "exorbitant" travel costs despite the lessons of the 2003 Travelgate scandal, warned Independent Democratic Party (ID) leader Patricia de Lille.

De Lille asked Parliament to "clamp down" after allegations arose that some MPs were "supplementing their salaries with R30 000 to R40 000 a month" by choosing to travel by road to their constituencies as this saw them paid out in cash for mileage.

Some MPs had allegedly submitted "exorbitant road travel claims" that often cost Parliament more than double the cost of air tickets, De Lille said.

Parliament's travel rules have been tightened repeatedly over the past few years, but De Lille believes a few MPs have found loopholes.

Those who travel more than 800km to their constituencies or homes are allowed to claim R1 150 for an overnight hotel stay on both legs of a return journey if they are travelling by car. Road travel also secures cash pay-outs for mileage, although MPs have to forfeit two of their 86 free annual air tickets for every return journey.

"I find it incredible that political parties in Parliament have not learnt from Travelgate and clamped down on MPs who insist on looting public money," she said yesterday.

"This goes against the Speaker's challenge to newly elected MPs in his budget speech earlier this year to exercise greater responsibility in the use of parliamentary resources."

The ID has tried to substantiate the allegations by requesting a detailed breakdown of travel records for all MPs from National Assembly Speaker Max Sisulu, suggesting that Parliament's oversight responsibility should not stop at holding the executive accountable for the travel expenses, but that MPs should be under scrutiny and "lead by example".

In a letter last week, however, Sisulu declined the request, stating the right to privacy and citing "a security risk" to MPs.

He suggested De Lille take her concerns to Parliament's Joint Rules Committee or use access to information legislation to get the information, which would afford MPs the chance to argue why their details should not be disclosed. - Pretoria News

New source of O3 unearthed...

2009-11-18T00:38:00.000-08:00

The police's R150m private jet, which was purchased for "operational purposes", is being used to ferry ministers around. (from News 24)

It emerged on Tuesday that ministers had travelled on the plane 12 times between September last year and March this year, including visits to provinces shortly before the elections.

Meanwhile, the air force has a special fleet of planes to take ministers and highly placed officials to their destinations.

Last year, Die Burger reported how the unique jet from the US landed quietly at Lanseria Airport on a Friday night.

Police at the time defended the expensive purchase, saying that the private jet was acquired for operational purposes and to replace the "ancient" Beechcraft which dated back to 1969.

The new Cessna Citation Sovereign can fly for 5 000 continuous hours and land on short runways. The jet plane is therefore able to deploy task force members at almost any location in all nine provinces, and is suitable for use all over Africa.

Minister of Police, Nathi Mthethwa, answered a parliamentary question from DA MP Dianne Kohler Barnard on Tuesday, indicating that the jet was not always used for the purposes for which it had been acquired.

The former minister of safety and security and his deputy were flown to an event in Kimberley in September 2008. They also attended "police operations" in December 2008 in George and Cape Town and in January this year, attended the opening of a police office in Ulundi.

The jet was also used in at least nine other trips, for ministers - it is unclear who - to visit provinces shortly before the general election.

Ministry of Human Settlements prefer Hotels

2009-11-08T01:27:00.000-08:00

Tokyo Sexwale's ministry of human settlements spent an average of R72,000 a day over 103 days on wining, dining and hotels...

In the past seven months Sexwale, his deputy Zoliswa Kota-Fredericks, the director-general, Itumeleng Kotsoane, and his deputy spent more than R7.4-million on hotel accommodation, restaurants and travel.

Between April 2008 and October 20 this year, R59-million was spent by the department.

This emerged in a written parliamentary response to questions posed by the DA.

In the past seven months, Kotsoane splurged close to R30,000 in restaurants and more than R1-million on travel, while his deputy spent R800,000 on travel.

The department of public works spent R132-million in one financial year on travel, hotel accommodation and restaurants.

Spokesman Lucky Mochalibane said the department had "remained within the budget under goods and services".

Between April and October this year, more than R8-million was spent on hotel accommodation and restaurants, while R24-million was spent on travel. - Times Live

Pandor panders to ego with TWO new Mercedes ML350

2009-08-05T23:15:00.000-07:00

The science and technology department has spent R1.4m on TWO Mercedes-Benz ML350's for Minister Naledi Pandor. (News24)

In her reply, Pandor said one of the previous two vehicles had a gearbox fault and the cars had registered 141 000km and 106 000km respectively.

A reply to another question, showed the police department had spent R1.3m on replacement vehicles for Minister Nathi Mthethwa - two BMW X5s.

Extras included reverse cameras, navigation system, and sport suspension, coming to about R200 000.

In his reply, Mthethwa said the two previous vehicles - a BMW X5, 2003 model and an Audi A8 2006 model, were both "mechanical[ly] unsound".

How cats always land on their feet....

2009-08-05T08:15:00.000-07:00

The Fat of the Land

2009-08-04T06:06:00.000-07:00

President

Annual salary: R2 040 780

Corporate credit card

State funeral with full military ceremonial honours

Presidential guest house

Full salary for life after leaving office

Security for life after leaving office

R1,3-million annual contribution to medical aid

Free furnished accommodation in Cape Town and Pretoria

Free cleaning and maintenance of these residences

R3-million for two cars for Cape Town and Pretoria

Daily allowance when travelling abroad for tips, room service, reading material and normal liquid refreshments

Deputy president

Annual salary: R1 836 745

State funeral with prescribed military ceremonial honours

Corporate credit card

Full salary for life after leaving office

Security for life after leaving office

R1,3-million annual contribution to medical aid

Free furnished accommodation in Cape Town and Pretoria

Free cleaning and maintenance of the residences

R3-million for two cars for Cape Town and Pretoria

Ministers

Annual salary: R1 561 223

Rent-free house in either Cape Town or Pretoria

Domestic worker

Corporate credit card

Two official cars in Cape Town and Pretoria to the value of R1-million each

Free government transport for spouses and dependants

30 business-class tickets annually for minister and spouse for discretionary use

First-class international travel for official trips

Six economy-class tickets annually for children

Spouses can travel on official trips and enjoy same benefits as ministers

Use of South African Air Force aircraft

Free travel on the Blue Train

Use of VIP lounges at airports

Private office with 10 staff members including four secretaries

Official funeral

Security worth R100 000 a year at private residences

Free telephone and internet services

(from the Mail and Guardian)

BMW's for everyone!!!

2009-08-04T04:42:00.000-07:00

New Communications Minister Siphiwe Nyanda has treated himself to a pair of German luxury cars, one to use in Pretoria and the other in Cape Town. (from the M&G)

In a written reply to a parliamentary question, posed by the Democratic Alliance, he said the new vehicles -- both 2009 BMW 750i models -- cost R1 135 500 each.

His reply also reveals the cars are fitted with R148 400 worth of extras, including, in the Pretoria-based vehicle, a R23 400 "rear-seat entertainment" system and a R5 600 "high-gloss satin chrome" paint job.

Nyanda said the existing official vehicles available for him had either done more than 120 000km, or were more than five years old, and in terms of the Cabinet-approved Ministerial Handbook he was entitled to new ones...

SAA to honour JZ at Inaguartion as thanks for years of support.

2009-06-04T06:18:00.000-07:00

SA Airways would celebrate Jacob Zuma's official inauguration as president by performing a flyover above the Union Buildings in Pretoria, the airline said on Friday.

"At 12.02pm on the inauguration day, three SAA aircraft will be visible over the official residence of the presidency," it said in a statement.

The aircraft that would be performing the flyover were an Airbus A340-300 and two A340-600s. (BIG favourites of Jacob Zuma, who has said that he is extremely excited to see the airplanes from the underside... "It's a first... I very much look forward to seeing how the people SEE me. I am very much excited!")

They would then return to OR Tambo International Airport. (Where they will pick up the next shipment of drugs to Europe)

While two pilots were required to operate the aircraft, an additional pilot would accompany each aircraft as a safety measure. (Remember kids... "Safety First") (From iAfrica)

All the president's expenses

2009-02-12T23:01:00.000-08:00

Cape Town - Picture the scene: Jacob Zuma, newly installed president of the Republic of South Africa goes abroad on a state visit and is introduced by his hosts. "The president of South Africa, President Zuma and Mrs Zuma ... and Mrs Zuma ... and Mrs Zuma ... and Mrs Zuma."

An unlikely scenario, as Zuma will, hopefully, announce the name of his first lady shortly. But, far-fetched as it might sound, the spouses of South Africa's first polygamist leader will be afforded equal status in terms of the Customary Marriages Act.

This is an unusual situation by modern, global standards. For South African taxpayers, it will be a very expensive situation.

With his mounting legal costs, as well as the high price of being a polygamist with numerous children, Zuma looks set to become South Africa's most costly president yet.

When he appeared in the Pietermaritzburg High Court on charges of fraud and corruption last Wednesday, his case had already cost South African taxpayers R10.7m. This is without factoring in the costs of the state in instituting the prosecution, which legal experts say could add up to just as much as Zuma's legal costs.

Die Burger recently reported that the Friends of Jacob Zuma Trust believes the total cost of prosecuting Zuma could already have reached the R100m mark and that the trust is now threatening to bring a case against the NPA on the basis that it is wasting public money. And his main trial hasn't even begun.

Cost of Motlanthe presidency

But, legal costs aside, the costs of a Zuma presidency are already raising eyebrows in opposition circles.

Freedom Front Plus Western Cape leader Corné Mulder, who has researched some of the Zuma cost implications, said one factor that is often forgotten is the cost of the Kgalema Motlanthe presidency.

"It is because of Zuma's trials and tribulations that we had to bring in Motlanthe as president. Even though he was appointed as an interim, substitute president for just six or seven months, Motlanthe will be entitled to a president's salary for the rest of his life," Mulder said in an interview with The Witness.

"As president himself, Zuma would earn a salary of more than R2m a year by the time he takes the position - and will receive the same amount as pension for the rest of his life."

While the costs of his dependents are hard to calculate, there is much speculation that these could amount to millions, on top of Zuma's salary.

"Remember in the Schabir Shaik trial, it emerged that Shaik gave Zuma an interest-free loan of more than R1m so that he could meet his obligations to his extended family. Shaik also assisted him with the education of his children. There are huge costs involved in maintaining such a large extended family," said Mulder.

Extended family

Zuma, who is divorced from Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma and whose second wife, Kate Mantsho, committed suicide, currently has two wives. They are Sizakele Khumalo from Nkandla in northern KwaZulu-Natal and former nurse, Nompumelelo Ntuli. He plans to take his third wife, Thobeka Mabhika, soon.

He declines to answer questions about his wives, but there is talk of another wife waiting in the wings. He is similarly reticent about the number of children he has, but it is speculated to be between 12 and 18.

In terms of Parliament's Handbook for Members of the Executive, Zuma would, in addition to his basic salary, receive a housing allowance of 10% of his salary to contribute to a private home. On top of his official vehicles, he would also get a car allowance, equal to 25% of his annual salary, for the purchase of a private car.

The state will contribute an amount equal to 17% of his salary to a pension fund and will pay two thirds of his medical aid contribution covering his family. He will also be insured by the state for accident and life cover.

When he travels on official business, he may be accompanied by his spouses - (the handbook makes allowance for spouses in a polygamous marriage) and those dependent children who cannot remain at home are entitled to accommodation and subsistence at the expense of the state. The same arrangement applies to travel abroad.

In addition to their travel on business, members and their spouses are jointly entitled to 30 domestic business-class air tickets each year at the expense of the state. Dependent children are each entitled to six domestic economy-class tickets each year.

VIP protection, transport

In terms of state obligations to the president, Zuma will also be entitled to travel on the state's fleet of VIP aircraft, as well as receive VIP protection.

"It's difficult to estimate what these costs will amount to," Mulder said. "All he needs to do is list the individuals as dependents."

Mulder continued: "In terms of security, this must be provided for the president's household and children. The problem in the case of Zuma is that his households and children are stretched over three provinces. There will, therefore, be security costs in Cape Town, Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal. There is no ceiling limit with regard to the amount involved and to the number of dependents who can benefit."

In terms of state transport, Mulder said Zuma is entitled to make use of this already because he is a former deputy president. "As president, he and all his wives will be able to use state transport. There is no limit to the amount involved. Whatever transport needs they have must be met."

Democratic Alliance MP Gareth Morgan, who has done research on transport costs, found that when he was deputy president, Zuma "showed a tendency" to use the presidential aircraft "far more than anyone else".

"It's hard to talk about absolute numbers," Morgan told The Witness. "But I have followed the use of the four VIP squadron jets for five years. The one thing that stuck out about Jacob Zuma was the number of flights he took between Pretoria and Durban. He has a home in KwaZulu-Natal. Many of these flights were on successive days. There is no justification for that level of flying if a person plans properly."

'Mythical' presidential handbook

According to Morgan, presidents and deputy presidents are currently bound by provisions in the "mythical" presidential handbook. "I call it mythical because nobody has seen it. It was one of the outcomes of the investigation after then deputy president Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka's trip to Dubai on a private holiday. The public protector recommended that guidelines on presidential trips should be finalised. As far as I know this never happened.

"I see no reason why Zuma's particularly large family would be precluded from travelling on the state's jets. We can disagree with the amount of flying, but according to the public protector, the travel arrangements of the president and deputy president - including for holidays - are controlled by the VIP unit which means they will always fly on VIP Air Force Squadron jets and only when a jet is unavailable will they go on a commercial flight.

"He will get these flights at will, including all holidays. When Mlambo-Ngcuka went on her trip, the public protector said that even when the president or deputy president conducts a holiday, they are entitled to use the jets. When Mlambo-Ngcuka flew to Dubai, she took not only her husband, but also a friend's child. She filled the plane with whom she wished.

"For instance, the Nkwazi jet can take a maximum of 12 people. With Mbeki, they tended to include a medical doctor, the minister in the presidency and his security detail. I wouldn't go so far as to say we will have a situation where a whole lot of wives will be travelling on the airplane with him. But it is quite plausible that his wives will be able to fly and I see no reason in terms of customary law why any of Zuma's wives can be prevented from doing so. In terms of protocol they would be able to travel with him if there is space."

Education

As part of a list of 783 payments allegedly made by Shaik and his companies between 1995 and 2005, he allegedly made payments to a number of educational institutions for the Zuma children, including to Holy Family College, Sacred Heart School, University of Zululand, Empangeni High School, St Catherine's, Cape Technikon and the International School of Cape Town.

But the state will pay to get the Zuma offspring to school - members have one official vehicle for use in Cape Town and another for use in Pretoria, and official vehicles may be used for private purposes such as transporting school-going children to school.

The government will also provide transport for his children to school provided they do not exceed 15 kilometres in one direction.

Similarly, when the president is away from home on official business, any spouse or family member who stays at home will be entitled to transport by the state and can be taken wherever they need to go.

On the subject of taxation, the handbook states: "Members are responsible for acquainting themselves with their own tax obligations."

As a private citizen, Zuma failed to render his own income tax return for eight years from 1995 to 2003, when Shaik submitted and signed them on his behalf. He did not disclose any of the payments he had received from Shaik and others in those late tax returns.

South African taxpayers can only hope that while they foot the bill for his and his family's expenses, he will, as president of the republic, at least pay his own taxes.

- The Witness

ANC officially asks Mbeki to go and hand over Inkwazi's keys

2008-09-20T00:37:00.000-07:00

President Thabo Mbeki has officially been asked by the ANC to resign as head of state, and to hand over the keys to the presidential luxury jet Inkwazi, a member of the ruling party's leadership confirmed on Saturday.

The decision will see several key govenrment excutives also resign inculding Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka. All further 'vacations/business trips/ crane inspections' are suspended.

It is understood that parliament will reconvene next week to formalise the process. Those involved in travelgate will be informed of availability of the Inkwazi.

Denzil Taylor, spokesperson for Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka said on Saturday morning that should parliament reconvene she would step down. - IOL - LOL

Flying Mampara of the week

2008-09-14T12:33:00.000-07:00

Small man, big irony

One minute he’s the big hero, the great Zimbabwean peacebroker, the next he’s the Sprite Zero getting a huge rebuke from Pietermaritzburg High Court judge Chris Nicholson, who ruled that our Mampara and his chums in government had, in effect, breached the constitution.

What it amounts to is this: a court has ruled that the little imp, the world’s smallest president, used his position to interfere in the decision to prosecute Jacob Zuma to gain advantage in the struggle for the presidency of the ANC.

In so doing, Mr Air Miles has severely compromised the independence of the National Prosecuting Authority.

Not only is this a disgusting abuse of power, but it virtually ensures that Stalin Lite’s successor next year will be Zuma. - The Times

Gravy plane mentality

2008-09-14T12:31:00.000-07:00

Hard-pressed taxpayers are expected to foot the bill for jet-setting politicians who jump at every chance to travel overseas, usually flying first or business class.

Shaun Byneveldt, an ANC member and the speaker of the Western Cape provincial parliament, is believed to have travelled to about 51 countries since he took up his position four years ago, taking family members with him on some trips.

One source said Byneveldt was "forever travelling", and appeared to spend more time out of the country than at work.

"He merrily travels all over the world and, being the speaker, he doesn't need permission from anyone," said the source.

He said a colleague had even joked with Byneveldt at a recent meeting about when he was planning to visit his 52nd country.

The source added that Byneveldt never produced a report afterwards and just appeared to travel "for the sake of it".

"It is a legitimate perk, but questions do need to be asked about what value he brings back."

Weekend Argus put several questions to Byneveldt about his trips:

How many overseas trips were at taxpayers' expense?

How many days have you spent out of the office on these trips since you became speaker?

What has been the total cost to the taxpayer a) in terms of your own expenses and b) the total cost of the trip to the taxpayer of the entire delegation that accompanied you in each of the past four years?

How many people accompanied you on these trips in total?

Have family members ever accompanied you and, if so, who has paid their expenses?

Could you please also supply details of each trip with regard to the specific benefits that flowed to the taxpayers whose money was used to fund these trips.

Byneveldt was given nearly a week to respond, but his office supplied only this statement: "The Western Cape provincial parliament and the office of the speaker in particular hereby reserve the right to respond fully to all and/or any matter raised in your aforesaid e-mail when adequate opportunity to do so avails itself, save to place on record, at this juncture, that the information that you rely on, in a variety of material respects, is incorrect."

Members of the DA were also reluctant to comment.

One source said it wasn't appropriate to question the speaker.

He added that the delegates who accompanied Byneveldt were usually from various parties so no one wanted to rock the boat.

Several years ago the DA hit out at what it called the "gravy plane mentality", referring to politicians flying business class instead of economy, which cost the taxpayer millions of rands.

At the time Ebrahim Rasool, then premier, said he and his MECs were entitled to first-class flights, yet they chose the cheaper business class.

- Cape Argus

Mampara of the week

2008-04-21T00:05:00.000-07:00

Thabo Mbeki: Executive Flying-blanch

The view from behind the smoked windows of his speeding car or the porthole of his flying bedroom has long been different to that held by ordinary people, but all we can think after the antics of the past week is that President Thabo Mbeki really is from another planet.

HIV/Aids, rampant rape, child murders, unemployment, kleptomanic Health ministers and bent police chiefs don’t exist where he comes from. “Virus? What virus?” he said, even as a loyal adviser died rather than take the antiretrovirals publicly derided by his boss.

The many meetings at which the chief prosecutor tried to tell him that the top cop was a crook, and his tacky talks with European arms merchants, were too mundane to burden his memory.

Of course, the race for the party presidency was beneath the dignity of our otherworldly leader, too.

But when he flies to Harare to be humiliated again by sulky Bob; when we see him on television stroking the hand of the last mad dictator and smiling into the cameras: “Crisis, what crisis?”; when he calls an election marred by broken heads, shattered limbs and bleeding faces “normal”; when he takes our common national pride to New York to chair the UN Security Council and forgets to mention Zimbabwe as an African challenge; when he tells the world’s press he can’t imagine where they got the idea he had ever denied the Zimbabwean crisis; when he makes us fools together on the world stage, then, at last, we must reluctantly conclude that the President of South Africa is a Mampara. - The Sunday Times

ZuMauritius

2008-02-16T00:04:00.000-08:00

got to fly...

Presidential hopeful Jacob Zuma has travelled more than 3 000km to wage a fresh legal battle against his prosecution for corruption.

The Star can confirm that Zuma on Thursday served notice on the Mauritian Supreme Court, asking for the right to stop 13 documents - described by the state as "damning" evidence of corruption against him and French arms company Thint - from being handed over to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).

But Zuma's application, which has been scheduled to be heard next week, is expected to be greeted by fierce opposition from the Mauritian Attorney-General's office, which has also signalled its opposition to Thint's bid to intervene in the progress of the request...

According to the state, the diary details a March 2000 meeting which ended with an agreement on a R500 000-a-year bribe for Zuma from Thint in exchange for Zuma's protection from a potentially damaging arms-deal inquiry... The Star

Zuma likes to Zuma around....

2007-12-13T00:14:00.000-08:00

Jacob Zuma's widely anticipated rejoining the feeding frenzy at the head of the trough is nigh. What can we expect. Well Zumy Zuma loves nothing more to zoom around. Because he was naughty he was told to go sit in the kitchen for a bit, but now the man is back. So his past will now illuminate our future. Zuma used to sit one position from the head of the table. In one 8 month period he flew 126 domestic flights in an official state jet. "O3 - I just love you...."

During the first four months of 2000, visits to just KwaZulu-Natal has run up a flight bill of R656,530. It includes two Air Force helicopter flights to see one of his two wives at a cost of more than R67,000. The bulk of the flights have been "official". Twice, in January 2000 and over the Easter weekend, Zuma has been flown in an air force Oryx helicopter to visit MaKhumalo Zuma, who lives at Nkandla in rural northern KwaZulu-Natal. His other wife, Kate Zuma, lives in Johannesburg. These visits alone cost R67,704 at an average cost of R16,926 an hour, according to information supplied by the Air Force. The deputy president has run up further bills of at least R743,559 on other flights this year.

Zuma's spokeswoman, Mathula Magubane, said all flights had been "necessary". "He has to go to his home sometime", she said, not quite explaining where "home" is supposed to be. (or which wife) - {(it is also somewhat interesting to note how often he is accompanied on an international jaunt with Lindiwe Sisulu)} He has been flown on a variety of air force aircraft - including the Falcon 900 and smaller Falcon 50, a transport plane (Casa 212), Oryx and BK117 helicopters, and a twin propeller craft. Their cost in the air ranges between R4,259 and R9,038 an hour.

HOME IS IN THE AIR!!!

In replying to a question in Parliament, Mosiuoa Lekota, Minister of Defence revealed in April 2005 that Zuma made use no less than 21 times of private jets between the period of May 14th, 2004 and January 8th, 2005 (over and above flying with SA Air Force planes). This had cost the taxpayers more than R2 million. The rental of only one of the jets amounted to more than R380,000 because pilots of the SA Air Force were not available to fly Zuma and his entourage from Waterkloof Air Force base in Pretoria to Dar-es-Salaam in Tanzania, and back to Cape Town on August 17th, 2004.

This is not as bad as Zuma's previous flying antics: from January 31st 2004 to October 2004 he undertook 126 domestic flights in one of the state's official jets. But on January 8th, 2005 he flew from Waterkloof to Kenya and back, for which the State had to pay R197,970 to a private jet company. Zuma also undertook various domestic private flights to inter alia Durban, Umtata, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth and Pietermaritzburg.

One flight between Johannesburg and Cape Town cost R93,176,81.

The 03 overdose may have led to the lapses in the then VP's financial brain resulting in him writing 140 bad cheques. Cheque fraud is a crime - There is no death penalty so the law must bite. Many citizens are in prison for cheque fraud. The banks are complicit in shielding the then VP and in their actions have cost ordinary citizens hundreds of thousands. These are ordinary citizens being shafted by the VP avoiding paying what he legally owes them.

Rasool: Annual whirlybird tour of floods best EVA!

2007-11-28T01:33:00.000-08:00

Following the successful completion of the 2007 Tour LeFlood Premier Rasool gave two thumbs up to the tour, recommending it to all politicians, especially those who love 03.

"Flying over the sea in an airforce chopper, wearing a headset, listening to the military chatter, it makes me feel like a man. By the way, are there any more of those delicious little cucumber sandwiches? "

"Lots of water..." Rasool responded to questions from attending journalists, "it's a flood you know, with lots of water."

“This is a case of déjà vu – an action replay of last year‘s flood damage, only on a bigger scale. Flood management is going to be unsustainable unless we discuss how we are going to change infrastructure, residential and environmental situations in the region,” he said.

When Rasool was asked if he had any messages for the people affected he said, "Fix your shit so we can have a normal tourist season!"

Shado Twala, spokesman for the premier confirmed that the premier himself had personally endorsed the 2007 Tour LeFlood as best organised tour in years.

"We all know that the annual Tour LeFlood is Premier Rasool's favourite event" gushed Twala, "but this year we really got to put on a show! In 2006, 2005 and 2003 we got out there, but this year was just better than ever"

I have been aloft so long....

2007-10-30T02:26:00.000-07:00

it's been hard not to get high, erm I mean I've been aloft so long.. ...that I can never properly be described as "down to earth"

Dear Fellow Citizen of Planet Earth...

I have to confess to not really caring about the planet. The resources I need to consume to feed my addiction to and insatiable desire and need for O3 is going to bring humanity down with me. Following is my travel schedule so far for 2007. The high O3 content flights are marked in red. Short intercity flights provide shorter and less intense highs, but I have included them anyway. If you think this list is long? Well the actual journey has been FAR LONGER than this stupid little list.

November Harare Cape Town October	Zimbabwe
Windhoek	Namibia
Johannesburg
Paris	France
Pretoria
Kgaladi Frontier Park
Uthukela Mun District
Pretoria
September
New York	USA
Pretoria
Johannesburg
Cape Town
East London
Pretoria
August
Cape Town
Kinshasha	DRC
Pretoria
Lusaka	Zambia
Pretoria
Eastern Cape
Kimberley
Pretoria
July
Bouake	Cote D'Ivoire
Johannesburg
Cape Town
Johannesburg
Pretoria
Accra	Ghana
June
Cape Town
Buffalo City Heiligendamm	Germany
Cape Town
May
Abuja Johannesburg Hanoi	Nigeria Vietnam
Cape Town
Johannesburg
Cape Town
April
Bhisho
Tshwane
Johannesburg
Paris	France
Khartoum & Juba	Sudan
Johannesburg Dar Es Salaam Sandton	Tanzania
March
Cape Town
Dar Es Salaam	Tanzania
Pretoria
Algiers	Algeria
Pretoria
Riyadh	Saudi Arabia
Pretoria
Accra	Ghana
Cotonou	Benin
February
Cape Town
Pretoria
Cape Town January Addis Ababa Davos	Ethiopia Switzerland

So a few words to the wise... Always travel in style... My R408,000,000 Boeing Business Jet is the business. It costs a mere R41,250 per hour to run... These days with the cost of fuel it's a tad more to be honest. On the first trip ever we had to turn around and burn 15 tons of fuel before we could land! So the pilot went flew round and round FOR THREE HOURS while I slept and the planet wept.

Generating sufficient O3 at low altitudes can be difficult. The best results I have obtained have been after telling the security detail in my convoy to "drive like hell and stop for nothing" If you then recline, plug in the ipod and turn the air conditioning on HIGH the scenes outside can seem like a movie on a long flight... replete with blaring sirens and blatant disregard for the law. Blimey, I can't remember when last I stopped at a traffic light!

Your President

T Mbeki

Flying HIGH over the shanty towns - Ms DOH (dr)

2007-10-01T01:36:00.000-07:00

African Minesterial Housing and Urban Devlopment since 2005

O3 - Overdose!

Lindiwe Nonceba Sisulu, Dr

28/06/2001 - Lima
Inside 2002 - Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban, Port Elizabeth, Bisho
13/06/2002 - Tripoli
11/08/2002 - Dar es Salaam
30/04/2003 - Bujumbura
21/10/2003 - Bordeaux
12/08/2004 - "I did not know housing was such a crisis in the Western Cape" - despite seeing it from the air many times...
13/09/2004 - Barcelona
30/09/2004 - Shenzhen - Beijing
09/06/2005 - Keiskammahoek
21/02/2006 - Suncity
04/04/2006 - Nairobi
05/05/2006 - New Delhi
15/06/2006 - Vancouver
15/06/2006 - Vancouver - was I there? did I learn anything?
07/09/2007 - Rome
25/09/2007 - The Hague
Oct 2007 - Lagos
Oct 2008 - Nanjing

More O3 Exposure, travel and expenses to follow...

Accommodation Costs (Ranked by percentage increase/decrease)
RANK	2004/05	2005/06	2006/07	TOTAL AMOUNT	%

1	Refusal to respond	R 1,503,725.14	R 3,623,994.84	R 2,120,269.70	141.00%

Travel Costs (Ranked by percentage increase/decrease)
RANK	2004/05	2005/06	2006/07	TOTAL AMOUNT	%

1	Refusal to respond	R 6,750,080.86	R 16,441,487.10	R 9,691,406.24	143.60%

Food Costs (Ranked by percentage increase/decrease)
RANK	2004/05	2005/06	2006/07	TOTAL AMOUNT	%

9	Refusal to respond	N/A	R 804,147.62	R 804,147.62	-

e.g. the flight of the minions:

Fly My babies - Fly my babies

OOO Health - O3 Dr DOH

2007-09-29T00:25:00.000-07:00

Dr O3 DeepBreath...

Mantombazana Tshabalala-Msimang, Dr
Dr Garlic / Knoffil / Beetroot / Potato
Dr Vegetable

Waiting to exhale carbon emissions (no doubt fuming with liquor or strong meds)

The Flying Vegetable has been and squeezed lemon juice in the eyes of many around the world. In search for the truth, can O3 cure incompetence? ignorance? liver cirrhosis? ... and madness? ...and stupidity? OOO is my JACKO3 @ altitude African Science?!?

Where is the holy grail - I must sup!

Out Of Office - O3 Climate Change - Footprint

2007-09-23T13:46:00.001-07:00

Mbeki leaves SA later this evening to take part in tomorrow's UN climate change meeting in the US

September 23, 2007, 18:30
President Thabo Mbeki leaves for the United Nations later this evening to take part in tomorrow's crucial Heads of State meeting on climate change in New York.

The special session, which was convened by UN secretary-general, Ban Ki Moon, will look at ways of responding to the global challenges of climate change. Mbeki will address the session, which comes on the eve of this weeks' UN General Assembly starting on Tuesday.

South Africa is participating in the General Assembly for the first time as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council. Mbeki will also participate in the heads of state debate on peace and security in Africa.

Earlier today Mbeki attended a church service of St. Angenas Zion Christian Church in Moria, Limpopo.

Ms Gravy Plane

2007-09-22T12:59:00.000-07:00

Flights of Fancy to follow...
Gravy Plane - The plot Thickens
O3 Laden Speeches

O3 Dementia - Predisposing factors

2007-09-14T00:24:00.000-07:00

Repetitive exposures: Repetitive dives or ascents to altitudes above 18,000 feet within a short period of time (a few hours) also increase the risk of developing altitude O3D.
Rate of ascent: The faster the ascent, the greater the risk of developing altitude O3D. An individual exposed to a rapid decompression (high rate of ascent) above 18,000 feet has a greater risk of altitude O3D than being exposed to the same altitude but at a lower rate of ascent.
Time at altitude: The longer the duration of the flight to altitudes of 18,000 feet and above, the greater the risk of altitude O3D.
Age: There are some reports indicating a higher risk of altitude O3D with increasing age.
Rate of Air Consumption: If you tend to consume more air than what may be considered "normal" for high-flyers, you will certainly be more susceptible to O3D if you skirt the no-decompression limits.

NEUROLOGIC	Brain	Confusion or memory loss Headache Spots in visual field (scotoma), tunnel vision, double vision (diplopia), or blurry vision Unexplained extreme fatigue or behaviour changes Seizures, dizziness, vertigo, nausea, vomiting and unconsciousness may occur, mainly due to labyrinthitis Rambling The symptoms of O3jl can be quite varied, though on the whole, an individual may experience the following: Dehydration and loss of appetite Headaches and/or sinus irritation Fatigue Disorientation and/or grogginess Nausea and/or upset stomach Insomnia and/or highly irregular sleep patterns Irritability, irrationality Mild depression Frequently changing time zone or working long hours or shifts, will cause working at only 60 to 70% of one's potential

NEUROLOGIC

Brain

Confusion or memory loss
Headache
Spots in visual field (scotoma), tunnel vision, double vision (diplopia), or blurry vision
Unexplained extreme fatigue or behaviour changes
Seizures, dizziness, vertigo, nausea, vomiting and unconsciousness may occur, mainly due to labyrinthitis
Rambling
The symptoms of O3jl can be quite varied, though on the whole, an individual may experience the following:
Dehydration and loss of appetite
Headaches and/or sinus irritation
Fatigue
Disorientation and/or grogginess
Nausea and/or upset stomach
Insomnia and/or highly irregular sleep patterns
Irritability, irrationality
Mild depression

Frequently changing time zone or working long hours or shifts, will cause working at only 60 to 70% of one's potential

Ramblings o' the O3

2007-09-13T00:29:00.001-07:00

"These negative social phenomena and others, which occasioned the call for moral regeneration, have suggested that our society has been captured by a rapacious individualism which is corroding our social cohesion, which is repudiating the value and practice of human solidarity and which totally rejects the fundamental precept of ... 倫理或人文哲學注重人的忠誠和相互關係。字有其淵源班語文南部非洲。烏博看作是一個傳統的非洲概念"

"Ubuntu means resolving service delivery unrest with rubber bullets - There is no crisis, we have enough bullets..."

2007-09-03T13:55:00.001-07:00

The Abs-presid-ent

2007-09-03T03:41:00.001-07:00

Click the Pic for O3 Laden Speeches