NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

WRITTEN REPLY

QUESTION 3392

Mr D.J. Maynier (DA) to ask the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans:

1. Whether any (a) aircraft and (b) ships were chartered during the period 1 April 2009 up to the latest specific date for which information is available; if not, why not; if so, in each case what (i) was the purpose of the charter, (ii) was chartered, (iii) was the cost of the charter and (iv) is the breakdown of such costs.

2. What was the total cost of chartering (a) in the 2009-10 financial year and (b) from 1 April 2010 up to the latest specific date for which information is available.

3. Whether she will make a statement on the matter.

REPLY

1. No ships have ever been chartered by the SANDF.  Aircraft was chartered between 1 April 2009 and 22 October 2010.  

(i). The South African Airforce has very limited aircraft for the responsibility of securing VVIPs and VIPs and most of these are at advanced age and often requiring repairs.  The bulk of planes that are chartered is therefore occasioned by the state of the Airforce's old aircraft and the additional responsibilities given to former President T M Mbeki by the African Union, which requires a great deal of travel.

(ii). Aircraft

(iii). 2009 - Charter 1 was R555 316.00, Charter 2 was R2 078 720.00 and Charter 3 was R997 550.18.

2010 - Charter 1 was R2 693 208.95, charter 2 was R93 502.80, charter 3 was R3 321 386.08, charter 4 was R51 171.00, charter 5 was R2 413 290.00, charter 6 was R2 462 014.28, charter 7 was R4 230 517.85 and charter 8 was R1 668 999.99.

2. (a) R3 631 586.18

(b) R16 934 090.95

3. No

Issued by Parliament, December 13 2010

Click here to sign up to receive our free daily headline email newsletter