Members statement by David Maynier MP on the number of flights taken by former Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Lindiwe Sisulu, National Assembly, November 13 2012:
CONFLICTING DATA ON NUMBER OF FLIGHTS TAKEN BY FORMER MINISTER OF DEFENCE AND MILITARY VETERANS ON LUXURY GULFSTREAM JETS
(Member's Statement)
Mr D J MAYNIER (DA): Hon Speaker, I can only imagine that the former Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, hon Lindiwe Sisulu, is desperately missing the ultra-luxury privately owned gulfstream executive jets operated by the SA Air Force. The Minister of Defence and Military Veterans revealed that 203 flights ... [Interjections.] Yes, 203 flights were undertaken for the former Minister on gulfstream executive jets. We believe that they were kitted out with onboard entertainment and fitted out with the best upholstered seats.
Now, a political war seems to have broken out. The current Minister of Defence and Military Veterans claims they were 203 flights, but the former Minister of Defence and Military Veterans claims that they were 35. The Minister of Defence and Military Veterans claims that the facts are correct, but the former Minister of Defence and Military Veterans claims that the facts are incorrect. One of the Ministers is clearly massaging the facts. I strongly suspect that it is not the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans who is doing the massaging. [Laughter.]
We should not be surprised that the former Minister is in full damage control, because we now know that the she burn through nearly R200 000 - yes, R200 000 each time she flew from Pretoria to Cape Town and from Cape Town to Pretoria. It's a staggering waste of the public funds. And rather than standing in this House saying that we are talking rubbish, the Minister should be standing in this House apologising to the people of South Africa for her staggering waste of public funds. [Time expired.] [Applause.]
Reply in National Assembly by Lindiwe Sisulu, Minister for the Public Service and Administration:
The MINISTER FOR THE PUBLIC SERVICE AND ADMINISTRATION: Speaker, I had a very educational experience here, when I did not want to use the word "rubbish". That is what I meant, but I cannot use it in Parliament. I was assisted, very ably assisted, by the hon uMtwana ka Phindangene, former Minister, who said that in Parliament, you can say "hogwash". I was also assisted by Koos van der Merwe, who said it could be called "balderdash". Both of them apply to the hon Maynier. [Laughter.]
Mr Speaker, I insist that I took 35 flights. Your flight of fancy, wherever you meet your journalists, or wherever you get your information, wherever you are handled from, there were 35. I have referred the matter.
The SPEAKER: Order, hon members! Order!
The MINISTER FOR THE PUBLIC SERVICE AND ADMINISTRATION: I have referred the matter to the Presiding Officers and the Leader of Government Business, and they will respond to that tomorrow. So, you can keep your flea-infested body at peace and sit down. [Applause.]
The SPEAKER: That concludes Minister's Responses.
Mr S B FARROW: Speaker, on a point of order: The Minister indicated that the hon Maynier had a "flea-infested body," which I think is a verbal insult on an hon member's integrity. I would like her to withdraw that statement, sir.
The SPEAKER: I will study the Hansard and come back with a ruling. [Interjections.] Order, hon members! Order! Order!
Source: Unrevised transcript, Hansard, November 13 2012
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