Sisulu covers up: Zuma's flights now classified

The Democratic Alliance (DA) believes that it is problematic that the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Lindiwe Sisulu, has decided that details about President Jacob Zuma's flights are now classified.

The fact is that this information has been made public in the past and raises questions about why the minister is now covering up details about flights undertaken by President Jacob Zuma.

In a reply to a parliamentary question, released this morning, the minister revealed that President Jacob Zuma undertook 27 international flights and 133 domestic flights since 09 May 2009. The president did not use any commercial airline and all flights were on aircraft operated by the defence department. However, the minister refuses to reveal details about the routing and costs of the flights. She suggested in the reply to the question that the matter be raised in the Joint Standing Committee on Defence and Military Veterans (JSCDMV).

The parliamentary question was part of a series of similar questions posed to Deputy President Kgalema Mothlanthe and Minister of Defence and Military Veterans Lindiwe Sisulu.

The ministers reply is deeply problematic for the following reasons:  

* detailed information about presidential flights has always been provided in the past including details about routing and costs. For example in 2005 replies to similar parliamentary questions resulted in detailed information being provided including spreadsheets containing detailed information on the departure date, arrival date, routeing, passenger names, passenger numbers, distance flown, hours flown as well as the total cost including a breakdown of costs of accommodation meals, daily allowances, fuel costs, handling fees, navigation and landing fees, the costs of catering in respect of each flight; and

* the minister knows very well that the Joint Standing Committee on Defence and Military Veterans does not meet and therefore the matter cannot be taken further in Parliament.

The fact is that the minister's refusal to provide full information on flights undertaken by President Jacob Zuma is part of a trend of defence department resistance to being properly accountable to Parliament.

The real question is what is the minister trying to cover up. Is she trying to cover up details of the routing of the aircraft, the names of the passengers or the exorbitant costs of operating the aircraft?

The bottom line is that South Africans have a right to know how public money is being spent by the defence department on domestic and international flights for President Jacob Zuma.

The DA will therefore submit follow up parliamentary questions to probe:

* who took the decisions to classify the information about presidential flights;  
* why is information about presidential flights now being classified; and
* in terms of what legislation was the information classified by the defence department.

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

WRITTEN REPLY

QUESTION 2006

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

1. How many (a) international and (b) domestic flights were undertaken by the President using (i) aircraft operated by the military, (ii) aircraft chartered by the military or (iii) commercial aircraft between 9 May 2009 and the latest specified date for which information is available;

2. in respect of each specified flight, (a) what was the (i) date and (ii) place of (aa) departure and (bb) arrival and (b) what was the (i) total cost and (ii) breakdown of the costs of such flights? NW2403E

REPLY:

(1) (a) The President undertook 27 international flights.

(1) (b) The President undertook 133 domestic flights.

(1) (b) (i) The President used 133 domestic flights operated by the military.

(1) (b) (ii) None

(1) (b) (iii) The South African Air Force is tasked to execute military flights only. 

2. The information required is classified and may not be made public. However, the Honourable Member is advised to raise this request with the Joint Standing Committee on Defence and Military Veterans

Statement issued by David Maynier MP, Shadow Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, October 4 2010

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