News / National
More questions over SANDF jet misuse by Ramaphosa's ANC to Zimbabwe
21 Sep 2020 at 06:46hrs | Views
The ANC delegation to Zimbabwe shared a flight with Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, which was en route to the neighbouring country.
Political analyst Ralph Mathekga has questioned the procedure that the African National Congress delegation had followed to access a South African National Defence Force plane to Zimbabwe earlier this month.
The delegation led by party secretary-general Ace Magashule, went to meet ZANU-PF representatives following allegations of human rights violations in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and lockdown.
The trip has since drawn strong criticism from opposition parties.
The Public Protector is investigating the use of state funds and resources for party interests despite the ANC's decision to apologise and reimburse government for using the SANDF plane to Zimbabwe.
However, Mathekga says there isn't much information on the matter.
"In an area where on face value we see impropriety of the party that is in government failing to distinguish, we firstly, have to ask was the trip planned to Zimbabwe, when was the trip planned, and was it for what purpose? Because you might find and here I'm speaking subject to unavailability of information that we have so little information about this that no one can just now dismiss me if I say that what if there was no trip by the SANDF, what if the trip was initiated on the basis of giving the ANC a lift."
Mathekga says the fact that President Cyril Ramaphosa did not know anything about the ANC delegation's trip to Zimbabwe earlier this month raised many questions.
Mathekga adds: "When I was a college student, one of the things we studied when we studied African politics is that leaders never leave their homes because they were fearful of the coup. I'm surprised that a Head of State in SA has got an aircraft flying over his head and with the SG of his party in a moment such as this and the answer is that I didn't know, then what else you don't know? You are gonna be out of power, you'll experience a coup if you don't know that detail."
Political analyst Ralph Mathekga has questioned the procedure that the African National Congress delegation had followed to access a South African National Defence Force plane to Zimbabwe earlier this month.
The delegation led by party secretary-general Ace Magashule, went to meet ZANU-PF representatives following allegations of human rights violations in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and lockdown.
The trip has since drawn strong criticism from opposition parties.
However, Mathekga says there isn't much information on the matter.
"In an area where on face value we see impropriety of the party that is in government failing to distinguish, we firstly, have to ask was the trip planned to Zimbabwe, when was the trip planned, and was it for what purpose? Because you might find and here I'm speaking subject to unavailability of information that we have so little information about this that no one can just now dismiss me if I say that what if there was no trip by the SANDF, what if the trip was initiated on the basis of giving the ANC a lift."
Mathekga says the fact that President Cyril Ramaphosa did not know anything about the ANC delegation's trip to Zimbabwe earlier this month raised many questions.
Mathekga adds: "When I was a college student, one of the things we studied when we studied African politics is that leaders never leave their homes because they were fearful of the coup. I'm surprised that a Head of State in SA has got an aircraft flying over his head and with the SG of his party in a moment such as this and the answer is that I didn't know, then what else you don't know? You are gonna be out of power, you'll experience a coup if you don't know that detail."
Source - SABC
