President Zuma fails to denounce lavish jet; hides behind Speaker

19 November 2015

President Zuma today selfishly dodged the opportunity to publically denounce the purchase of a new luxury presidential jet for this personal use at a cost of up to R4 billion. Instead he laughed his way through his oral question session while millions of South Africans suffer from the corruption and mismanagement endemic to his government.

Last week I requested that President Zuma makes an executive statement in rejection of the jet in Parliament today before his oral question session. The President neither acceded to this request nor responded to my letter.

When pressed for an answer the Speaker of the National Assembly, Baleka Mbete, shielded the President and allowed him to evade accountability in the usual fashion.

This is another example of how the Speaker’s pro-ANC bias has compromised the integrity of the House. And further illustrates how the ANC places protecting the President from criticism above the legitimacy of our democracy.

These actions echo President Zuma’s statement earlier this week about the primacy of the ANC. It is patently clear that his own priorities come before those of ordinary South Africans.

There is simply no justification for the purchase of a luxury aircraft for President Zuma while South Africa is facing a drought that may require us to import over R3 billion in grain, and higher education remains crossly underfunded.

Today once again shows that President Zuma only has his own interests at heart. The time to vote out an uncaring ANC in favour of a DA government that puts the needs of citizens first is long overdue.

Statemetn issued by DA leader, Mmusi Maimane, 19 November 2015