Presidential Handbook paves the way for Nkandla Air

28 November 2015

The Presidential Handbook released yesterday does nothing more than hand Zuma’s cronies a blank cheque, setting out to minimise presidential accountability while maximising the potential for lavish and extravagant expenditure.

A mere 20 pages in length and dated November 2015, the Handbook has clearly been recently written with supporting Zuma’s lifestyle in mind and explains why he has failed to denounce the purchase of a new VIP aircraft for his personal use – at a cost of up to R4 billion.

The Handbook limits the use of commercial flights to the Deputy President and only in “special circumstances,” conveniently giving Zuma an excuse not to follow the example set by other Heads of State.

In the case of the President, it mandates that the SANDF provides a suitable aircraft or charter with in-flight catering for the Presidency’s account. It further allows the President “to invite passengers to accompany him or her … provided that there is space.”

Inkwazi, the current presidential jet, has luxury seating for 18 people and a range of 6200 nautical miles. This is clearly insufficient for the needs of Zuma Inc. as the tender document attained from Armscor specifies an extravagant jet with a range of 7200 miles and room for 30 passengers on-board.

Read together, the tender document and the Handbook make it abundantly clear that the motivation for the new jet is Zuma’s desire to travel further, in greater luxury, with more of his cronies on board – all at the taxpayers’ expense.

The Handbook should serve to place firm limits on presidential expenditure to prevent the abuse of state funds. Instead it merely serves to provide guidance on who can be scapegoated by stating which departments foot the bill for various expenses, such as Department of Defence in the case of Nkandla Air.

As the Head of State and the Executive, however, the President cannot simply wash his hands of money spent in support of his lavish lifestyle. 

The release of the Handbook will not prevent the DA from holding the President to account for wasteful expenditure, including the entirely unnecessary acquisition of a new aircraft.

If Zuma really cared about South Africa, he would set an example of fiscal restraint and responsible spending instead of putting himself and the ANC first.

Statement issued by Sejamothopo Motau MP, DA Shadow Minister in the Presidency, 28 November 2015