Public protector to probe R2.6 Mill Sports flights

Public Protector Thuli Madonsela is to investigate allegations of wasteful spending of R2.6 million on flights by Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula and his deputy Gert Oosthuizen, according to reports.

The Star newspaper reported today that in a written reply to a parliamentary question from the Democratic Alliance, Mbalula said he had taken 240 flights, including 16 international flights, since April 1 2010, costing R1,539,196, according to the newspaper.

In the same period, Oosthuizen had spent R1.1 million on 105 flights, including 29 international flights.

This was 186 more flights than both the international relations minister and two deputy international relations ministers took combined, for the same period.

After Madonsela received a request to investigate the expenditure from DA sports spokesman Winston Rabotapi in March, the public protector announced in July that the allegations warranted an investigation.

Madonsela has since assigned an investigator to the case, and the preliminary investigations had begun, Madonsela's spokeswoman Kgalalelo Masibi told the newspaper.

- Timeslive

Sleepless in the 777

Zuma’s bling Boeing to cost R2bn

The Secretary of Defence, Dr Sam Makhudu Gulube, is in the US on a two-week trip to finalise the purchase of a mega-bling VIP Jet for President Jacob Zuma.

The jet will cost the taxpayer $235 million (nearly R2 billion) if it goes ahead.

The 300-seater Boeing 777-200LR earmarked as “ZA1” will cost $80m to reconfigure to Zuma’s specifications on top of a $150m purchase price, Independent Newspapers has learned.

Also included in the deal is a $28m Global Express 600 for the deputy president’s use, bringing the total bill for the VVIP transports to $183m (over R2.2bn).

Though negotiated on the basis of cabinet approval, Independent Newspapers has information that the deal has failed to follow normal requirements that such procurements be put out to competitive tender.

“It’s simply wrong to spend nearly R2bn on President Zuma’s new Boeing 777-200 LR business jet when so many people in our country are poor,” DA defence spokesman David Maynier said.

“I hope delegates at the ANC’s national policy conference ask President Zuma to explain how a R2bn presidential business jet will help our country tackle the triple challenge of unemployment, poverty and inequality?”

Negotiated directly with Boeing, according to evidence in Independent Newspapers’ possession, the Zuma Jet was secured at a price, before reconfiguration, of $155m – knocked down from $305m.

Originally destined for another buyer, the 777 apparently became available when that deal fell through.

But, after the South African shoppers – with ministerial policy adviser and political commentator Professor Sipho Seepe serving as go-between – missed an earlier deadline for a “definitive agreement” to be signed and sealed by May 30, the temperature went up.

New deadlines were set for the middle of June, with Boeing negotiators J Miguel Santos and Carlos Horan threatening to pull the plug if the South Africans did not make concrete commitments.

Seepe confirmed he had acted as a “middleman” between the ministry and Boeing on cabinet directives in respect of the aircraft.

It remains unclear whether or not the Treasury was approached to invoke special powers to override the competitive tender specification on the basis of urgency.

Also unclear is what budgets would be called on to plug a shortfall of $183m identified by former defence minister Lindiwe Sisulu.

This was after Sisulu, in May, indicated that the Department of Defence could find the $80m required to reconfigure and refurbish the earmarked Zuma plane.

She was also of the opinion that the Department of Defence could cover the hefty operational costs for the two planes if it reprioritised budgets and expenditures.

One solution Sisulu proposed at the time was that refunds received from European manufacturer Airbus after the summary cancellation of its orders for the Airbus A400 M be returned from the fiscus to the Department of Defence to fund the VVIP transports.

The Treasury, however, has remained tight-lipped on whether or not authorisation was given to the rerouting of government funds as suggested by the Defence Ministry.

Another deviation from normal practice mooted in the Defence Ministry’s apparent haste to push the contracts through was to acquire the planes via SAA – as opposed to the South African Air Force, the authority mandated for VVIP air travel.

Such a procedure would be possible, Independent Newspapers has learned, under Treasury regulations – which allow for other organs of state to be used for procurement.

However, such procedures do not obviate the overriding requirement for a competitive tender process. Approached for comment, Finance Ministry spokesman Jabulani Sikhakhane confirmed: “National Treasury was consulted, as is normal with matters of this nature.”

However, Treasury was not in a position to disclose its specific recommendations, Sikhakhane said.

The government’s planned spending spree comes at a time when earlier blunders and misadventures around VIP air transports could cost the country billions in months and years to come.

Nigerian-owned Adonai Aviation – awarded a five-year lease contract to the value of R826m in 2010, which was subsequently summarily cancelled – continues to be in litigation with the Department of Defence, demanding a review of the cancellation of its contract.

If successful, the review would open the door to multibillion-rand damages claims.

The current presidential jet, Inkwazi, was returned to service at the beginning of this year, after being out of service for most of last year for routine upgrades and maintenance. The Boeing 777 is the world’s largest twin-engined aircraft, and has the longest range of any aircraft in commercial use.

Department of Defence spokes-man Siphiwe Dlamini said there was a new minister at the helm, who was still being briefed: “These briefings are to allow the minister to familiarise herself with issues that need to be attended by her department. Once these are concluded we will be able to engage. The briefings started a week ago and had to be postponed as she had to attend the ruling party’s policy conference, which ends Friday (today).”

- Pretoria News

‘It’s a staggering sum of money’

Cape Town - Flying President Jacob Zuma and his deputy to their various engagements since they assumed office has cost taxpayers more than R210-million, former defence minister Lindiwe Sisulu has revealed.

In written responses to two Parliamentary questions, tabled on Wednesday, she said Zuma and Kgalema Motlanthe had used a total of 499 South African Air Force flights.

These included aircraft operated by the SAAF's 21 (VIP) Squadron and its reserve squadron, as well as flights chartered by the SAAF.

Of the 499 flights, Zuma used 286, at a total cost of R140,515,430; Motlanthe used 213, at a total cost of R69,746,680..

Sisulu, who on Tuesday was shifted by Zuma from defence to take over as public service and administration minister, said the figures were for the period from and including the 2009/10 financial year, up to mid-May this year.

According to her replies, a total of 53 of the 499 flights were chartered for the two men by the SAAF.

The Democratic Alliance said the figures contained in Sisulu's replies, and in her written replies to other questions dealing with VIP flights, also tabled on Wednesday, were “staggering”.

They further revealed that former president Thabo Mbeki had undertaken 39 flights, at a cost of R32,130,037, DA defence spokesperson David Maynier said in a statement.

“However, most shocking of all was that the minister (Sisulu) herself undertook 268 flights at a cost of R40,581,878.”

Of these 268 flights, 188 were on aircraft operated by the SAAF. A total of 79 flights were on aircraft operated by the SAAF reserve squadron, and one flight was chartered.

“The minister apparently regularly made use of a luxury Gulfstream executive jet operated by the SAAF reserve squadron. She blew an average of R151,424 on each flight, most of which must have been domestic flights.”

Maynier said Sisulu “seems to have completely abused her privilege to use military aircraft for official purposes”.

It was entirely possible that the figures provided did not reflect the total cost of providing VIP flights.

“I will, therefore, be submitting follow-up questions to the newly-appointed Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, probing what aircraft were used and what the breakdown of expenditure was for each of the flights undertaken by President Jacob Zuma, Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe and the minister.

“We have to get to the bottom of what is really going on in the VIP transport section of the SAAF,” Maynier said. - Sapa

Zuma, Motlanthe rack up R210m in flights

Flying Jacob Zuma and Kgalema Motlanthe to their various engagements has cost taxpayers more than R210-million since they assumed office.

In written responses to two parliamentary questions, tabled on Wednesday, former defence minister Lindiwe Sisulu revealed that Zuma and Motlanthe had used a total of 499 South African Air Force flights.

These included aircraft operated by the SAAF’s 21 (VIP) Squadron and its Reserve Squadron, as well as flights chartered by the SAAF.

Of the 499 flights, Zuma used 286, at a total cost of R140 515 430.15; Motlanthe used 213, at a total cost of R69 746 680.47.

Sisulu, who on Tuesday was shifted by Zuma from defence to take over as public service and administration minister, said the figures were for the period 2009/10 to date.

According to the replies, a total of 53 flights were chartered for the two men by the SAAF. - Sapa

DA - Time to Clip Frequent Flyer Lindiwe Sisulu's Wings

The Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Lindiwe Sisulu, has once again refused to reply to a Parliamentary question on her use of military, chartered and commercial flights.

The question was as follows:

(a) how many (i) international flights and (ii) domestic flights were undertaken by (aa) her and (bb) her deputy minister using (aaa) military aircraft, (bbb) chartered aircraft or (ccc) commercial aircraft during the period 1 April 2009 up to the latest specified date for which information is available, (b) what class did she and her deputy minister travel in each case and (c) what amount did her department spend with regard to each specified flight?

The Minister is required to provide a comprehensive reply to the question but instead she deliberately fudged the reply.

The reply was as follows:

"As a matter of principle, I travel commercial on international trips, I do not use chartered aircraft and travel on the South African Air force Aircraft (SAAF) on official business only. The amounts required will be forwarded to the Honourable member once they have been accessed from the travel agency."

The Minister clearly has no intention of providing Parliament with any information in respect to her flights on military aircraft or aircraft chartered by the military.

This is not the first time the Minister has dodged replying to a question probing her flights details. She deliberately fudged a reply to a similar question in 2011.

The Minister has a reputation for being a frequent flyer on South African Air Force aircraft.

According to my information, for example, she used military aircraft for 16 flights in a single month last year for domestic travel in South Africa. During that month the Minister used military aircraft, such as the Dassault Falcon 50 Business Jet, but also used aircraft charted by the military, such as Gulfstream Business Jet. What is most shocking is that 8 of these flights were "ferry flights" with no passengers on board the aircraft.

The Minster is clearly trying to hide the excessive number of flights and the massive cost of her flights.

We cannot allow the Minister to ride roughshod over Parliament and refuse to provide comprehensive replies to Parliamentary questions.

The DA's Chief Whip, Watty Watson, will therefore write to the Speaker, Max Sisulu, requesting him to compel the Minister to reply to the Parliamentary question on the Minister's use of military, chartered and commercial flights.

It's time to clip the Minister's wings. 

- allAfrica

Sisulu digs in on flight costs

Defence Minister Lindiwe Sisulu has again refused to divulge the costs involved in sending extra aircraft to “shadow” President Jacob Zuma’s presidential jet to New York in January.

In a written reply to a parliamentary question from DA MP David Maynier – which came 15 days after it was due – Sisulu simply referred the opposition MP to a media statement issued by the Defence Department on February 20.

That statement failed to provide details about the costs involved.

Instead, it said information about flight schedules for the “president and other principles” was “confidential” due to “safety considerations” and that the information “cannot be in the public domain”.

“That is not good enough. It leaves several important questions unanswered… The minister has a track record of attempting to hide information by avoiding parliamentary questions or by providing non-replies to questions,” Maynier said on Thursday.

He undertook to follow the matter up with National Assembly Speaker Max Sisulu.

Earlier this month Sisulu prevented SA Air Force chief General Carlo Gagiano from briefing Parliament’s joint standing committee on defence on the state of the air force, saying the information he was to provide “might be classified”.

Defence Ministry spokesman Ndivhuwo Mabaya told the Cape Argus yesterday that he had “no further additions” to the parliamentary response given by his minister.

Asked whether he could provide details about the costs of the shadow operations, Mabaya said members of the media “should use Paia (the Promotion of Access to Information Act)” if they wanted the information.

After initial media reports in January suggested that a single plane had shadowed Zuma’s Boeing BBJ to New York on January 10, the Cape Argus revealed that in fact two planes had been used during the back-up operation. After initial denials, Mabaya admitted this was so. - Political Bureau