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The new Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, must cancel the dodgy deal to purchase a new Boeing 777-200 “Long Range” business jet for President Jacob Zuma.

Before being fired former Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Lindiwe Sisulu, was in the advanced stages of negotiating a R2 billion “backdoor deal” to acquire a Boeing 777-200 LR business jet for President Jacob Zuma.

The former minister turned the defence department into a state-within-a-state and refused to disclose any information on capital acquisition projects including the acquisition of “VIP aircraft” for the South African Air Force.

However, the chickens are now coming home to roost as the rot, which set in under the former minister, is being exposed.

We now know:

* the defence department is in the process of acquiring a Boeing 777-200 LR business jet for President Jacob Zuma as well as a Bombadier Global Express 6000 for Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe;

* the acquisition was proceeding after the executive approved the purchase of four new “VIP aircraft” for the South African Air Force;

* the total cost of the Boeing 777-200 LR business jet was US$235 million (+/_ R 1.99 billion) and the cost of the Bombadier Global Express 6000 was US$28 million (+/_R 237 million).

* the total cost of both aircraft is therefore US$ 263 million which approximately R 2.2 billion; and

* the deal was being conducted outside the normal competitive tender processes as required by National Treasury regulations and the Public Finance Management Act (Act No. 1 of 1999).

On 29 May 2012 the Secretary of Defence, Dr Sam Gulube, accepted the price quotation following a proposal from Boeing (“Boeing Proposal No. 6-1105-KJN12-547R2”).

However, it is not clear whether a final definitive purchase agreement was signed with Boeing and whether the acquisition of President Jacob Zuma’s new Boeing 777-200 LR is a done deal.

The new minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, has clearly inherited a huge mess.

However, there appears to be a window of opportunity for her to do the right thing and cancel the deal to purchase the Boeing 777-200 LR business jet for President Jacob Zuma.

The DA, therefore, calls on the new Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula , to:
step in and cancel the deal to purchase a Boeing 777-200 LR for President Jacob Zuma and a Bombadier Global Express 6000 for Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe; and
to make a public statement on the dodgy VIP jet deal as soon as possible.
The minister’s honeymoon in the defence and military veterans portfolio is now over and she now needs to make a public statement as a matter of urgency.

It is simply wrong to waste nearly R2billion on President Jacob Zuma’s new business jet when so many people in our country are poor.

We could provide nearly 24 000 houses for families who do not have shelter with the R2billion being blown on a new Boeing 777-200LR for President Jacob Zuma.