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Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, the deputy president
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December 13, 2006, 19:00
The SA Air Force (SAAF) can transport VIPs or be combat ready, not both, said the Democratic Alliance (DA) today. "The few remaining resources that the SAAF has will either have to be used for transporting VIPs or maintaining combat readiness. It cannot do both," said Roy Jankielsohn, the DA Member of Parliament.
"The fact is that there is a crisis in the SAAF that has once again been highlighted by the hiring of an aircraft for R4.55 million to take Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, the deputy president, to the United Kingdom, while the SAAF has already acquired an aircraft at a huge cost to do so."
The defence ministry, responsible for the deputy president's travel arrangements, said earlier that the SA National Defence Force had hired the plane for Mlambo-Ngcuka's flight without top-level authorisation, and that this had nothing to do with Mlambo-Ngcuka.
The SAAF now faces a crisis
Jankielsohn said the SAAF faced a major crisis, as its airfields were not being maintained properly and between 2004 and October 2006, 535 technicians and 70 pilots had resigned from the SAAF. "The SAAF now faces a crisis of who will fly and service not only VIP jets, but also the 24 Hawk lead-in fighter trainers, 26 Gripen advanced light fighter aircraft, eight Airbus A400m aircraft, four maritime helicopters, 12 Rooivalk helicopters and the various other aircraft that are costing taxpayers billions of rands over the next few years," Jankielsohn said. "The lack of funds, together with the loss of skills, means that our air force is operationally ineffective." said Jankielsohn
Today Thabang Chiloane, Mlambo-Ngcuka's spokesperson said he was not able to comment on the issue as it was a defence force responsibility. Chiloane said Mlambo-Ngcuka's use of commercial flights "depends on defence's security clearance". Mosiuoa Lekota, the defence minister, is in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sam Mkhwanazi, his spokesperson, was not available for comment. - Sapa
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