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The leader of the EFF, Julius Malema.
Alet Pretorius, Gallo Images
- The ANC has been accused of abusing state resources after it used an Air Force plane to travel to Harare.
- The leader of the opposition party, Julius Malema, says that the intervention in Zimbabwe by the ruling party was necessary, but that they should not have used the jet.
- Malema says the only solution to the matter is to have ANC billed and work is continuing to find solutions for Zimbabwe.
The EFF says it will request that the South African National Defense Force bill the ANC for using a government-sponsored aircraft to conduct party business.
The ANC has been accused of abusing state resources after a delegation used an SA Air Force plane to travel to Harare to meet with Zanu-PF over the unrest in Zimbabwe.
Speaking at Randburg Magistrates Court on Monday after appearing in his assault case, Malema said that the problems in Zimbabwe needed urgent attention and that ANC leaders had found it necessary to travel to the country and interact with their leaders to find a solution. .
He said that while his party supported any intervention that could help restore sanity in Zimbabwe, it believed that the use of state resources by the ANC was “irresponsible.”
“And we shouldn’t be too dramatic about it. We will ask the Defense Secretary to bill the ANC, so the ANC pays and they don’t repeat that mistake.”
“But going to Zimbabwe, even under lockdown regulations, is necessary, urgent, and therefore it will be reactionary for someone to say that the leaders should not have gone to Zimbabwe,” Malema said.
He added that members of Parliament and political leaders had permits to travel anywhere and it was necessary to visit Zimbabwe.
READ | Mkhwebane considers investigating the use of a military aircraft for ANC trip to Zimbabwe
He said the ANC should have paid for a private jet if commercial flights weren’t available.
“But since they flew on a government plane, let them pay. Let them get a bill, let them pay. But the mission to solve the Zimbabwe problem should not stop us all, including the EFF, we should push for a solution.” to the problem of Zimbabwe. It is a pandemic in itself and therefore must be resolved, “Malema said.
He said the issue should not be “too politicized”, but rather a solution should be found for the country, adding that the only solution to the issue is for the ruling party to pay to use the plane.
News24 previously reported that President Cyril Ramaphosa had given Defense Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula 48 hours to submit a detailed report for the trip.
In reaction to the president’s directive, Malema said he was “acting.”
“The man told us that he has no power to discipline ministers. [report] do what with that? He said he has no powers to discipline ministers when asked to discipline the minister. [Pravin] Gordhan. Unless there are rules for Gordhan and rules for others. ”
SANDF defended the use of the aircraft, saying Minister Mapisa-Nqakula had traveled to Zimbabwe for official work and brought her colleagues from the ANC.
News24 reported that defense spokesman Siphiwe Dlamini said the party meeting coincided with the official work of Mapisa-Nqakula.
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