Air Force Gripens warehoused but helicopters available for Zuma on his holiday

 "It appears as if the air force is being kept operational only to fly the president and other VIP's around. The minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Ms. Mapisa-Nqakula's acknowledgement that nearly half of the air force's new Gripen fighter jets (12 of the 26) are being warehoused because there are insufficient funds to keep it operational means that taxpayer's money was wasted with the purchase of the jets. Last month it was announced that the air force's budget will be drastically cut with R1 billion. Helicopters and fighter jet squadrons will be affected the most by this budget cut, but there is enough money for helicopters to be used to take president Zuma on holiday. Clearly, the priorities of the government are wrong," Mr. Pieter Groenewald, the chief spokesperson of Defence for the Freedom Front Plus says.

 "Billions of  rands of taxpayers' money were used to purchase new weaponry for South Africa but it cannot be used operationally due to little money and  lack of manpower. Highly sophisticated weapons, such as the Gripen fighter jets were purchased but there is no money to allow existing aircraft to fly and pilots are leaving the air force. We purchased submarines but only one is operational and has been in the dry docks since 2006 for maintenance until 2013. It is clear that the public did not get value for their taxes and that the arms deal was a waste of taxpayer's money," Groenewald says.

Statement Mr. Pieter Groenewald, FF Plus chief spokesperson: Defence, March 13 2013

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