The Democratic Alliance (DA) has called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to clarify why an ANC-led delegation was able to fly to Zimbabwe, using an SANDF Airforce jet.
The delegation, led by ANC Secretary-General Ace Magashule, met with officials from the governing ZANU-PF this week – following allegations of human rights violations amid the coronavirus pandemic and lockdown.
The Zimbabwean government has consistently denied the allegations – despite recent reports indicating that several activists and opposition politicians, who’ve been labelled anti-government, have been arrested or abducted.
— Kobus Marais (@kobusda) September 10, 2020
DA Shadow Minister of Defence, Kobus Marais, says the meeting was between the two political parties – and not among officials of the South African and Zimbabwean governments.
“I think it is ludicrous. Since when do the jets of the air force give lifts to friends and colleagues and cadres? That is not the intention, not what the legislation says or what the constitution says. There must be separation between party and state and this is certainly blurring the lines. It smells like corruption. I think it is very important that the commander in chief must show his leadership and he must reprimand the minister, he must come out and apologize to the country. He is not only the commander in chief of the SANDF, he is the president and he is also the leader of the ANC.”
In the audio below, SANDF protocols:
We are absolutely disgusted by the ANC’s flagrant abuse of the State machinery, its deliberate muddying of State and party lines and the fact that the South African taxpayer had to sponsor this meeting between the two political parties. – @kobusm94
— Democratic Alliance (@Our_DA) September 10, 2020
Not only do we call on President Ramaphosa to clarify this brazen corruption by his party, but the DA also calls on the ANC to immediately payback the money that SANDF spent on transporting its party delegation to Zimbabwe. – @kobusm94
— Democratic Alliance (@Our_DA) September 10, 2020
We must draw a line in the sand when it comes to the ANC’s relentless gross abuse of government resources. The State cannot continue to be milked dry in pursuit of the ANC’s political ends. – @kobusm94
— Democratic Alliance (@Our_DA) September 10, 2020
We call on President Cyril Ramaphosa, in his capacity as Commander-in-Chief of the South African National Defence Force, to clarify why an ANC-led delegation was able to fly to Zimbabwe to meet with ZANU-PF party officials using a SANDF Airforce jet. https://t.co/eVB0Xz4bao
— Democratic Alliance (@Our_DA) September 10, 2020
