NATIONAL NEWS - President Cyril Ramaphosa attended the 42nd Southern African Development Community (SADC) summit in the Democratic Republic of Congo last week, and the flight cost approximately R2.6m.
As reported by Erika Gibson for Sunday Times, the trip the president and 11 other delegates travelled on an SAA A340 passenger jet.
Why, I hear you ask? “None of the air force VIP fleet is serviceable”, writes Gibson, adding: “The air force has run behind in paying its subscription fees to the Jeppesen flight database, which renders its aircraft not airworthy”.
Without this subscription – and its onboard avionics and latest flight information, airport and landstrips updates, etc. – an aircraft wouldn’t be airworthy.
If the presidential Boeing business jet was used, the 8-hour flight would have cost no more than R800,000.
Meanwhile, the rates for the A340 are billed at R340,000 per hour – which adds up to approximately R2.6 million.
Gibson was also told by sources within the aviation industry that the flight was booked for 12 people, even though the A340 jet has capacity for 320 passengers.
As per Sunday Times, Ramaphosa departed from Johannesburg to Kinshasa on 15 August and returned on 18 August.
The summit took place on 17 and 18 August at Palais du Peuple (Parliament Building) in Kinshasa, DRC.
It was held under the theme ‘Promoting industrialisation through, agro-processing, mineral beneficiation, and regional value chains for inclusive and resilient economic growth’.
He was accompanied by Dr Naledi Pandor, Minister Mondli Gungubele, and Deputy Minister Thabang Makwetla, among others.
Ramaphosa attended in his capacity as the outgoing Chair of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation and Facilitator of the Lesotho Peace Process.
