ANC jet scandal

Image via: flickr

ANC jet scandal: DA files application for report to be made public

Ramaphosa instructed Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula to furnish him with a report regarding the ANC jet scandal.

ANC jet scandal

Image via: flickr

The Democratic Alliance (DA) will be submitting an application in terms of the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) to President Cyril Ramaphosa, in a bid to compel him to release the report into the African National Congress (ANC) jet scandal.

This comes after an ANC delegation recently made use of a military jet to visit their Zimbabwean counterparts. Since the scandalous departure and arrival, Ramaphosa called on Minister of Defence and Military Veterans Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula to furnish him with a report regarding the flight and its passengers. Ramaphosa also gave Mapisa-Nqakula 48 hours to provide the report after an outcry from various political parties and the public. 

The DA is now calling on Ramaphosa to release the report. 

DA FILES AN APPLICATION FOR RELEASE OF ANC JET SCANDAL REPORT  

DA Shadow Minister of Defence Kobus Marais said it has become common in the ANC to play both the judge and the jury in an unashamed attempt to escape accountability.

“The DA has previously requested President Ramaphosa to immediately release the report on the ANC delegation who used the air force jet to visit their counterparts in Zimbabwe but this has not happened. It is unacceptable that the Minister reports back to the ANC about the ANC’s failures and South Africans are left in the dark,” said Marais. 

“This report is already gathering dust on President Ramaphosa’s desk. It must be made public,” added Marais. 

The DA said it cannot allow a situation where a report, potentially detailing a flagrant abuse of scarce state resources is viewed and decided upon by President Ramaphosa alone, “whose track record in holding his ANC comrades accountable for corruption is depressing.”

“The ANC cannot legitimately investigate itself, the President must hand over this report so that checks and balances that are available in our democratic system can properly scrutinise it and hold those found guilty accountable,” added Marais. 

DA LAYS CRIMINAL CHARGES AGAINST EIGHT OFFICIALS 

Following a statement by the ANC, in which it said it indeed travelled in an “unusual manner,” the DA jumped to the opportunity of laying criminal charges against some of the officials involved in the ANC jet scandal.

Taking it as a confession Marais last week announced that eight ANC officials, for the time being, would face the full might of the law. 

  1. Minister of Social Development and head of the ANC’s National Executive Committee (NEC) Sub-Committee on International Relations Lindiwe Zulu; 
  2. ANC Secretary-General Ace Magashule; 
  3. NEC member Nomvula Mokonyane;
  4. NEC member Tony Yengeni; 
  5. Minister of Defence and Military Veterans Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula; 
  6. ANC’s Head of Economic Transformation Enoch Godongwana; 
  7. ANC Spokesperson Dakota Legoete; and
  8. ANC Chairperson Gwede Mantashe