Sisulu cover up: DA submits PAIA applications

Following the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans' decision to classify information pertaining to President Jacob Zuma's flights, the Democratic Alliance has submitted two Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) applications to the Presidency and to the Department of Defence.

This comes in the context of an increasing appetite for secrecy and restrictions on the free flow of information. With the Protection of Information Bill currently before Parliament, we are concerned that this arbitrary classification of information may be a taste of things to come, and may be part of a broader information shut-down.

Earlier this week, the minister stated in response to one of my questions that President Jacob Zuma undertook 27 international flights and 133 domestic flights since 9 May 2009. However, the minister refused to reveal details about the routing and costs of the flights and suggested that the matter be raised in the Joint Standing Committee on Defence and Military Veterans (JSCDMV).

There are various concerns surrounding the Minister's response (see here and here):

Firstly, details about routing and costs have been revealed in the past, so why is this information now being classified, and what exactly is the Minister trying to cover up?

The second issue is the manner in which this information was classified, we want to know in terms of which legislation this information was classified and who was responsible for this decision.

Third, the JSCDMV rarely meets, so the information sought is unlikely to be forthcoming through this forum - something which the Minister is quite aware of.

Finally, this refusal of information is most concerning in a climate of secrecy.

For these reasons, I have submitted PAIA applications to both the Presidency and the Department of Defence in order to obtain the information. The PAIA applications sent off this morning, have requested the following information:

• The number of international and domestic flights undertaken by the President between 9 May 2009 and the latest possible date on aircraft operated by the military, aircraft chartered by the military or on commercial aircraft;

• In each case, the dates and places of departure and arrival; and

• The total cost and breakdowns of costs of these flights

In addition to the PAIA applications, I have submitted Parliamentary Questions in this regard, as well as to establish the means by which this information was made classified.

This information, we believe, could in no way be deemed to cause prejudice to the defence or security of the Republic, and should therefore be made public. In terms of PAIA, information must be granted if the public interest outweighs the harm that revealing the information could cause. We believe that this information is firmly in the public interest and that no prejudice to the security of the nation would be caused.

Simply put, South Africans have a right to know how much money is being spent to send the President jetting around our country and the world. 

Statement issued by David Maynier, MP, Democratic Alliance Shadow Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, October 6 2010

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