Govt carries can for Phumzile

2006-01-10 22:52

Erika Gibson

Pretoria - The government takes full responsibility for providing transport and security to the president and deputy-president - irrespective of whether they are on official or private trips.

This was the reaction on Tuesday of presidency spokesperson Murphy Morobe to the trip deputy president Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka and her family took, which cost taxpayers about R400 000.

Mlambo-Ngcuka, husband Bulelani and their children were on holiday from December 27 to 31 in the United Arab Emirates.

An air force Falcon 900 jet, one of the VIP planes used for the government's official trips, was used for transporting the group.

The operational cost of the flight is calculated at about R400  000.

Morobe said the requirements for transporting the president and deputy president were determined on the basis of safety, cost and convenience.

"In this case, the deputy president was advised that the safety prerequisite could best be provided by an air force plane," said Morobe.

Difficult to make a comparison

He added that these transport arrangements were part of the government's practice - similar to the standard procedures that "are followed by many governments throughout the world".

Dr Dirk Kotzé of the political science department at Unisa said it was difficult to make such a comparison because few countries had a deputy president, reports Liezel de Lange.

"Most have a president and a prime minister, and the latter is generally not treated at the same level as a deputy president."

Most countries bear the transport costs of their head of state, such as when President George Bush of the USA goes to Texas for a holiday. The USA also has a vice-president who is treated similarly.

But, Kotzé pointed out that British Prime Minister Tony Blair seldom allowed the government to pay for his holiday arrangements, and that he always flew with the national airline.

In Kotzé's opinion, safety was a consideration in Mlambo-Ngcuka's holiday arrangements, but "comfort" was not a convincing argument because she could have flown business-class on a commercial airline.

"Purely from an ethical point of view, a distinction must be drawn between private and official visits."

'Only for official flights'

Morobe said earlier that Mlambo-Ngcuka used the air force plane under the provisions of the cabinet manual regarding transport allocated to her.

This manual on the ethical conduct of cabinet ministers states that air force planes can be used only for official flights for the account of a cabinet minister's department.

The prerequisites for such flights are that no commercial flights can give the individual time for his official obligations, when the safety of the individual requires it or when commercial flights are not cost-effective or are not available.

- Beeld