Statement on the release of travelling details of dignitaries using South African National Defence Force (SANDF) flights

5 Oct 2010

Media reports following the tabling of a parliamentary reply by the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Lindiwe Sisulu suggests that the Minister seeks to hide the travelling details of the Commander in Chief of the SANDF and President of the Republic of South Africa, President Jacob Zuma. This is not true.

In recognition of the fact that the South African National Defence Force deals with sensitive information that can affect national security, Parliament established a Committee called the Joint Standing Committee on Defence to deal with classified and sensitive information from the Military. It is in this Committee that any sensitive and classified information from the SANDF must be tabled.

However, the Member of Parliament ignored this rule (see David Maynier's statement here) because his main interest is not receiving the information for oversight purposes, but for media grand standing.

The Ministry of Defence and Military Veterans will never release classified information. If any Member of Parliament requires classified and sensitive information they should apply to the Joint Standing Committee on Defence for the information.

The Ministry takes very serious the sensitive nature of the information in the military and also respect the fact that Parliament has established an appropriate Committee to deal with sensitive and classified information and urge the DA Member of Parliament to also respect rules of Parliament and apply for information through that Committee.

Statement issued by Ndivhuwo Mabaya, Head of Media Services,  Department of Defence, October 5 2010

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