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Phumzile trip has govt on hop
16/01/2006 22:38 - (SA)
Jan-Jan Joubert, Beeld
Johannesburg - A crisis meeting was held at the highest level on Monday afternoon to try to limit the harm done to the government's image - at home and abroad - by deputy president Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka's visit to the United Arab Emirates.
It was learnt that she and the head of communications in the presidency, Murphy Morobe, met to draw up a strategy to put an end to the perception that things were being covered up.
A comprehensive announcement, placing all the presidency's cards on the table was envisaged, perhaps as early as Tuesday.
This follows questions from the Democratic Alliance about whether Social Development Minister Zola Skweyiya or his wife, Thuthu Mazibuko, accompanied the deputy president on the trip.
Skweyiya's spokesperson, Lakela Kaunda, denied that he was on the flight, but said nothing about his wife.
DA MP Gareth Morgan will ask questions in parliament to try to establish whether any cabinet ministers accompanied Mlambo-Ngquka.
DA intends testing rumour
In answer to an enquiry, Kaunda sent an SMS stating: "Minister Skweyiya did not go with the deputy president to Dubai."
She did not respond to enquiries about the minister's wife.
Morgan said that although the source of the rumour was uncertain, the DA considered it essential to test it.
"Given the number of versions of the events concerning Mlambo-Ngcuka's trip that have already come from the presidency, the DA is not prepared to let the matter rest there.
"We'll raise a question in parliament about it," he said.
Morgan said the absence of a cabinet minister scarcely explained why the presidency has given so many versions of the events.
"If a minister or the spouse of a minister did go with the deputy president to the Emirates, it would be a contravention of the manual for cabinet members.
"The guidelines in the manual state that cabinet ministers are entitled to travel business-class at government expense, if it is for official reasons," said Morgan.
Must declare all favours
He said that the presidency, once and for all, should put all its cards on the table and set out the purpose as well as the precise course of the trip - especially given the African National Congress's previous dubious attempts at fund-raising.
Morgan also pointed out that any member of parliament, cabinet minister and even the deputy president had to declare any favours or concessions they received concerning private accommodation in the register of members' interests.
This follows allegations that the Ngcuka family may have been hosted by a Dubai royal.
- Beeld
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