More questions raised over SANDF jet misuse by ANC to Zimbabwe

The questions about the use of a South African National Defence Force (SANDF) plane by the ruling African National Congress (ANC) delegation to visit Zimbabwe are not over.

Political analyst Ralph Mathekga has questioned the procedure that the ANC delegation to Zimbabwe used to share a flight with Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, which was en route to the neighbouring country to assess the socio-political situation.

A delegation led by ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule, went to meet ZANU-PF representatives following allegations of human rights violations orchestrated by President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s under-fire administration.

Despite the ANC’s decision to apologise and reimburse government for using the SANDF plane to Zimbabwe, South Africa’s Public Protector is investigating the use of state funds and resources for party interests

But Mathekga has said there was not much information on the matter.

Mathekga added that the fact that President Cyril Ramaphosa did not know anything about the ANC delegation’s trip to Zimbabwe earlier this month raised many questions.

“In an area where on face value we see impropriety of the party that is in government failing to distinguish, we firstly have to ask was the trip planned to Zimbabwe, when was the trip planned, and was it for what purpose?

“Because you might find and here I’m speaking subject to unavailability of information that we have so little information about this that no one can just now dismiss me if I say that what if there was no trip by the SANDF, what if the trip was initiated on the basis of giving the ANC a lift.

“When I was a college student, one of the things we studied when we studied African politics is that leaders never leave their homes because they were fearful of the coup.

“I’m surprised that a Head of State in SA has got an aircraft flying over his head and with the SG of his party in a moment such as this and the answer is that I didn’t know, then what else you don’t know? You are gonna be out of power, you’ll experience a coup if you don’t know that detail,” Mathekga said.

The Democratic Alliance on Monday said it would submit a Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) application to force Ramaphosa to release a report on the circumstances leading to defence minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula sharing a flight to Zimbabwe with an ANC delegation.