Mapisa-Nqakula made an ‘error in judgement’ with Zim trip – Ramaphosa

Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula made an “error in judgement’ by allowing senior ANC officials to travel on a South African Air Force (SAAF) flight to Zimbabwe in September this year, said President Cyril Ramaphosa.

The president was answering questions in the National Council of Provinces on Tuesday afternoon, during which MPs grilled Ramaphosa on various issues including the contentious incident in which members of the ANC national executive committee travelled to Zimbabwe during a visit by a special envoy to the neighbouring nation.

The ANC top brass on the flight included ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule, former  minister of environmental affairs Nomvula Mokonyane, former deputy minister of public enterprises Enoch Godongwana, ANC spokesperson Dakota Legoete and Tony Yengeni.

The president said following the commissioning of two reports on events leading to the trip, he found that Mapisa-Nqakula had made an error in judgement in taking the party members with her on the SAAF aircraft.

Ramaphosa defended his decision to give verbal permission for Mapisa-Nqakula to use the aircraft, following a request she made on the day the trip took place. He only later signed a written letter confirming permission on 10 September, because, Ramaphosa explained, he was away from office attending to other matters.

The ministerial handbook provides that ministers must seek approval for international visits two weeks in advance. Explaining why he approved the trip verbally and with less than a day’s notice, Ramaphosa argued that the practice had been done before.

DA MP Cathlene Labuschagne accused Ramaphosa of intending to cover his tracks on the breaking of the ministerial handbook rules and lying to the nation, to which NCOP chairperson Amos Masondo objected.

The sitting continues. Watch the live feed below, courtesy of the SABC:

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