Cyril taking the moral high ground on ANC’s jet junket

The defence department’s R105 545.46 bill to the ANC for the use of a SA National Defence Force’s aircraft for the contentious trip to Zimbabwe has been described as fair, but that it could have been more.

Experts believe the bill as well as the decision to make public Defence minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula’s report on flying an ANC delegation to Zimbabwe, at the taxpayers’ expense and while the country was in a national lockdown augured well for President Cyril Ramaphosa.

According to Darren Olivier, defence expert and director at African Defence Review, publication of the report in full was a surprisingly transparent move from Ramaphosa.

He said the calculation for the amount the ruling party owes for the flight appeared broadly correct and was more than many had expected “as we anticipated that the party would be charged only the marginal extra cost per passenger”

Olivier however lamented that there were two elements of the billing that needed further scrutiny and explanation, explaining that the SA Air Force used external (non-government) and internal (government) billing when it billed for flights.

He said had the ANC appeared to have been billed at an internal government rate and that, had the party billed at an external rate, the cost would have worked out to about R133 000

“…while the cost of the flight was broken down on a pro rata basis, the rate used was the internal government rate of R62 000 a flying hour. However when SAAF aircraft are used by external parties, such as the United Nations, a higher external rate of around R85 000 is charged and you could argue that the ANC should be paying that rate instead,” Olivier said.

He said there was also no mention in the report or calculation of airport charges, catering costs, and similar, but said this did not mean these costs were not included but that it should be made explicit.

Olivier added that the Department of Defence has divided the entire flight cost on a pro rata basis, even though the aircraft would have been used anyway, saying this was a clear sign that a strong message was being sent.

By docking Mapisa-Nqakula’s salary for three months, making her submit a report, and making it public, Ramaphosa was taking a moral high ground, Andre Duvenhage, political scientist and professor at the University of the North West said.

“He had to take a moral high ground because he is dealing with people on the other side of the moral fence. Some still have to appear before the Zondo Commission,” he said.

Duvenhage however said he could not be bothered by how much the ANC pays but that they admit they are responsible, that an action is taken against them and that they pay.

“I do not think the action against the minister was fitting though. Ramaphosa should have been tougher and needs to stronger action against the ANC to make it clear that abuse of taxpayers’ money would not be tolerated,” he added.

In the report, Mapisa-Nqakula also concedes that in “hindsight”, it would have been “prudent” to report that she would be giving her ANC counterparts a lift to Zimbabwe.

The minister argues that the Guide for Members of the Executive, approved by Ramaphosa in November last year, stated that air transport by the SA Air Force may not be provided to political parties — unless the political party’s business coincides with official engagements.

Mapisa-Nqakula further pleads ignorance, saying that she was not aware of any prohibitions on taking additional passengers on the same aircraft or permission to do so.

As though showing no remorse, she adds that it was a “regular occurrence” for SAAF planes to ferry “business people or the like if they” were all travelling in the same direction. siphom@citizen.co.za

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