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SA government to lease, then buy, VIP aircraft

23rd September 2016

By: Keith Campbell

Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor

  

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The South African Air Force (SAAF) will acquire a VIP aircraft for Presidential travel, Defence and Military Veterans Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula affirmed last week, reported specialist news website Defenceweb. While this acquisition process is under way, an aircraft will be leased to provide an interim VIP capability. Leasing, she asserted, was a cheaper option than chartering VIP aircraft, which is the current practice. The leased aircraft will be required for a minimum of 18 months, before the purchased aircraft comes into service.

In a written reply to a Parliamentary question, issued only 24 or so hours earlier, she had revealed that government has budgeted R100-million to lease a VIP jet during the 2016/17 financial year. She further confirmed that a request for offers had been issued on August 18. Once the tender process had been completed, and assuming there was a successful bid, the aircraft should be delivered to the South African Air Force (SAAF) on November 1 this year.

“We are exploring all avenues when it comes to acquisition, including speaking to SAA (State-owned national carrier South African Airways),” she said. “That could see a suitable aircraft acquired without money being paid overseas. It would then be refitted and refurbished to the necessary specifications to make it suitable for accommodating our VVIPs and VIPs.”

Another source has suggested that it is likely that both the leased and the subsequently purchased aircraft will be Airbus A340 four-engined wide-body airliners currently belonging to SAA. The national airline is currently in severe financial straits and required a R5-billion going concern financial guarantee, which was announced on September 9. This is over and above previous financial guarantees given to SAA, which totalled R14.39-billion.

The Minister denied that the cost of acquiring a new VIP jet would be R4-billion. “[N]o figure was ever mentioned – somebody in the media just decided that was what it would cost”. She also objected to people referring to the planned new VIP aircraft as if it would belong to President Jacob Zuma. “It is not an asset of the current President, just as [the current VIP jet, a Boeing BBJ, named by the SAAF] Inkwazi, wasn’t a personal asset of former President Thabo Mbeki. It belongs to the South African National Defence Force and the AAF operates it. When President Zuma leaves office, the aircraft will remain at 21 Squadron and be used by South Africa’s next President.”

The official opposition party in Parliament, the Democratic Alliance (DA), in a press release, strongly attacked the proposed aircraft lease. (The question which elicited Mapisa-Nqakula’s written reply had been posed by DA Shadow Defence and Military Veterans Minister Sarel JF Marais.) In its statement, the DA highlighted that the cost of the lease “equates to R273 972 per day . . . more than double the price of a first- class round trip to London.” “There can be absolutely no justification for such extravagance while the South African economy is under extraordinary fiscal pressure and facing a potential ratings downgrade.”

It called on Zuma to set an example of restraint to show he is serious about stabilising the country’s economic situation. The party pointed out that the Defence Minister continued to refuse to reveal the costs of the President’s travels for reasons of security. “Under President Zuma, VIP travel has become a fiscal black hole costing South Africans hundreds of millions [of rands],” charged the DA. It pointed out that, during the administration of Mbeki, Parliament was informed of the routes, landing fees, catering costs and flying hours of each and every VIP flight.

Edited by Martin Zhuwakinyu
Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor

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