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The outgoing Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Lindiwe Sisulu, revealed that her department spent R 282 974 026.61 on 806 flights for VIPs – including President Jacob Zuma – between 2009 and 2012.

In the past the minister has refused to reply to parliamentary questions on the transport for VIPs. However, shortly after leaving office, parliament received a number of replies to a series of questions probing the VIP flights provided by the South African Air Force (SAAF).

The figures are staggering.

The replies revealed that:
President Jacob Zuma undertook 286 flights at a cost of R140 515 430.15;
Deputy-President Kgalema Motlanthe undertook 213 flights costing R69 746 680.47; and
former President Thabo Mbeki undertook 39 flights at a cost of R32 130 037.87.
The average cost R 450 543.03 per VIP flight for these three individuals.
However, most shocking of all was that the minister herself, undertook 268 flights at the cost of R40 581 878.12.

The minister undertook 18 fewer flights than the president himself, on aircraft operated by the SAAF.

Of the 268 flight undertaken by the minister, 188 flights were on aircraft operated by the SAAF. 79 flights were on aircraft operated by the SAAF reserve squadron and 1 flight was chartered.

The minister apparently regularly made use of a luxury Gulfstream executive jet operated by the SAAF reserve squadron.

The minister blew an average of R 151 424.91 on each flight, most of which must have been domestic flights.

The fact is that the minister seems to have completely abused her privilege to use military aircraft for official purposes.

The replies do not, however, provide a breakdown of the expenditure on the VIP flights.

It is entirely possible that the figures provided do not reflect the total cost of providing VIP flights.

I will, therefore, be submitting follow-up questions to the newly appointed Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, probing what aircraft were used and what the breakdown of expenditure was for each of the flights undertaken by President Jacob Zuma, Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe and the minister.

We have to get to the bottom of what is really going on in the VIP transport section of the SAAF.