#Jetgate: DA urges South Africans to co-sign letter to President Ramaphosa

20 September 2020

The Democratic Alliance (DA) invites all South Africans to sign its letter to President Cyril Ramaphosa urging him to take action against the ANC Ministers and party members who abused state resources when they used a South African air force jet to visit Zimbabwe.

The ANC delegation admitted they “travelled in an unusual manner” when party members hitched a ride with the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, in the ZS-NAN Falcon-900 aircraft usually reserved for VIPs.

In doing so, the ANC delegation not only abused taxpayers’ money, the also flouted the very Covid-19 lockdown regulation two members of the delegation helped institute as part of the National Corona Command Council.

Minister of Social Development, Lindiwe Zulu, and Minister Mapisa-Nqakula’s defiance for the Covid-19 regulations shows the disdain they feel for normal South Africans who have been killed, brutalised and humiliated by soldiers and police officers; who are facing criminal records because of irrational regulations; who have been left cold and hungry due to food distribution being blocked; who still don’t know if a promised R350 grant would be forthcoming this month.

While ordinary South Africans have struggled to survive not only the Covid-19 pandemic, but also the corruption and callousness of the ANC government, they have been living a life far removed in a utopia where a different set of rules apply.

This cannot be allowed to continue. President Ramaphosa needs to send a message to the corrupt officials infecting all spheres of government. He must do it by firing Minister Mapisa-Nqakula and allowing all ANC delegates on that flight to Zimbabwe to face the full extent of the law.

The ANC can no longer continue to get away with a mere slap on the wrist for its transgressions. The ANC is not above the law and President Ramaphosa must once and for all place his loyalty to South Africans above that for his party.

Issued by Kobus Marais, DA Shadow Minister of Defence, 20 September 2020