#Jetgate: DA to lay charges against ANC
16 September 2020
The Democratic Alliance (DA) will today lay criminal charges against the ANC-delegation for abusing a State aircraft – the party has already admitted guilt in this regard – as well as for flouting Covid-19 lockdown regulations.
Just like ordinary South Africans who now bear the burden of potential criminal records for breaking lockdown regulations, the ten ANC delegates who undertook this illegal trip in an Airforce jet, must face the legal consequences. They admitted to a crime and must now face criminal charges.
Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula made it clear that he did not grant the delegation permission for the trip, as is required by Level 2 lockdown regulations and referred all questions about it to Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula. There is also doubt that the Minister of Finances, Tito Mboweni, granted his support in terms of the 2002 Defence Act section 80(3)(a).
Minister of Social Development Lindiwe Zulu and Minister Mapisa-Nqakula are part of the National Corona Command Council. They were instrumental in instituting many of the regulations and should have known better than anyone that what the delegates were doing was wrong.