[ad_1]
Minister of Defense and Military Veterans Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula
Darren Stewart, Gallo Images
- The Prosecutor’s Office will question the Minister of Defense and Military Veterans, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, when she appears before the Defense Portfolio and Military Veterans Committee.
- The committee chairman indicated that he would call Mapisa-Nqakula to a meeting about the controversial flight to Zimbabwe.
- The ANC’s defense study group previously resolved to convene Mapisa-Nqakula to that meeting.
The Prosecutor’s Office is preparing to question the Minister of Defense and Military Veterans, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, when she appears before the Defense Portfolio Committee and Military Veterans to give an account of the controversial flight of the air force to Zimbabwe with high-ranking comrades of the ANC on board.
DA deputy and defense spokesman Kobus Marais welcomed the committee chairman Cyril Xaba’s decision to convene Mapisa-Nqakula to a meeting on the matter.
“The district attorney requested that the minister be summoned to appear before the committee after she deliberately oversaw the abuse of an air force plane by the ANC to visit Zimbabwe,” Marais said in a statement Tuesday.
“The Office of the Prosecutor is of the opinion that Parliament should play its oversight role in this matter to ensure accountability and transparency.”
READ | Ministerial Manual: Why Ramaphosa Decided to Rebuke Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula
Two weeks ago, Mapisa-Nqakula reported on the trip to the ANC’s study group on defense, which includes the ANC MPs who are part of the committee.
At that meeting, the study group resolved that Mapisa-Nqakula should be called in to inform the committee.
Marais said her party will not allow the minister’s appearance before the committee “to become an exercise to exonerate her.”
“Unlike the slap on the wrist by President Cyril Ramaphosa, the minister should await a questioning from the district attorney,” Marais said.
READ HERE | ANC Zim Junket: Mapisa-Nqakula Fire, Opposition Parties Demand
In a statement late Saturday night, the Presidency announced that Ramaphosa had issued Mapisa-Nqakula a formal reprimand.
In addition, he sanctioned her with the withdrawal of her salary for three months and ordered her to ensure that the ANC reimburses the State for the costs of the flight and to inform it once this is done.
Amid public outcry after news broke that senior ANC officials Ace Magashule, Tony Yengeni and Dakota Lekgoete were “brought” to Zimbabwe earlier this month along with Lindiwe Zulu Minister of Social Development, Ramaphosa He asked Mapisa-Nqakula to provide him with a report. on the matter.
READ ALSO | Ramaphosa rebukes Mapisa-Nqakula and takes away his three-month salary for Zim’s ANC trip
After studying this report, Ramaphosa found that Mapisa-Nqakula made an “error of judgment,” according to the presidential statement.
Marais said that while Mapisa-Nqakula’s appearance before Parliament is a step in the right direction, Ramaphosa should ultimately fire her.
“Because, in her own words, she ‘did not comply with the legal prescriptions that justify care in the use of [State] resources ‘and’ acted in a way that is inconsistent with [her] position, ‘”Marais’s statement read.
The district attorney said he would question Mapisa-Nqakula about the following:
- Why he allowed the ANC delegation to abuse an air force plane to travel to Zimbabwe for partisan political discussions and by virtue of ignoring the principle of separation of powers;
- If the delegation received permission from the Minister of Transport, Fikile Mbalula, to travel abroad in light of the Level 2 lockdown regulations. Supporting documents must be provided;
- Your report on Jetgate should be available; Y
- Progress in terms of reimbursement from the ANC, including calculations by independent aviation experts.
Parliament will meet again next week after a recess. As such, the meeting has not yet been scheduled in the committee meeting schedule.
Do you want to know more about this topic? Sign up to receive one of 33 News24 newsletters to receive the information you want in your inbox. There are special newsletters available to subscribers.
