COPE urges Gordhan to weight expenditure on Zuma jet

12 May 2016

Congress of the People urges Pravin Gordhan, Minister of Finance, to honour his pledge to buy only what National Treasury can afford.  While the Minister of Defence has scoffed at the figure of R4-billion, she has refused to play open cards with the country in respect of the purchase of a new executive luxury jet.

Nigeria operates a Boeing Business Jet (737); Egypt has an Airbus A340 – 200, Ghana uses a Dassault Falcon 900EX and our neighbour Angola flies its president on a Bombardier Express. Taxpayers must know whether South Africa, as only the third largest economy in Africa, will keep appropriate company. In our reduced circumstances, affordability is the imperative of the moment.

The Minister of Defence warned that South Africa may soon be without an army because the department does not have enough money to maintain an army. Our economy, under the poor and uninspiring leadership of Mr Zuma, is stagnant. Joblessness is rising alarmingly. The ruling party has to prioritise people over an executive jet. Government expenditure on a jet for Mr Zuma must reflect our increasing poverty as a nation.

The Minister of Defence herself acknowledged that the country has other urgent priorities. She must therefore put the purchase of a jet lower down in the list of priorities.

COPE questions the necessity for Mr Zuma undertaking so many overseas trips.  He has probably been undertaking too many trips that were not absolutely essential. That too is a matter for the government to give serious consideration to.

South Africa is literally beginning to burn. Large parts of our population are afflicted by poverty and hunger. Our national credit rating is hovering near junk status. Our expenditure must be aimed at holding society together.

We agree with the Minister of Finance that the time has come to buy and do what we can truly afford. Mr Zuma has messed up the economy to a considerable extent. His firing of Nene cost the country billions. The national debt is over two trillion rand and soaring. If there is no spare cash available to purchase an executive jet, it must not be purchased.

Congress of the People is totally opposed to spending billions on a jet for Mr Zuma. We urge the Minister of Finance to weigh expenditure on a new executive jet.

Issued by Dennis Bloem, COPE Spokesperson, 12 May 2016