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President Cyril Ramaphosa.
- President Cyril Ramaphosa gave “verbal approval” to Defense Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula’s visit to Zimbabwe on the same day she left for Harare, documents show.
- This after questions arose as the written approval for the visit was dated September 10, the day after she returned to the country.
- A week before Mapisa-Nqakula’s request to visit Zimbabwe, Ramaphosa said the ANC was finalizing a delegation to visit Zanu-PF “in days”.
President Cyril Ramaphosa gave “verbal approval” to Defense Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula’s controversial trip to Zimbabwe, where she “transported” ANC officials along with her on a South African Air Force flight the same day she left.
On Thursday, News24 reported that the Presidency only approved the flight on September 10, a day after Mapisa-Nqakula and Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu along with ANC officials Ace Magashule, Nomvula Mokonyane, Enoch Godongwana, Tony Yengeni and Dakota Lekgoete will return from Harare.
This according to the documentation that Ramaphosa ordered to be released about the trip.
Mapisa-Nqakula only sought presidential approval on September 7, the day before his departure.
READ | ANC slapped with a bill of R105,000 for Zim’s trip
The documents included a letter from the state’s chief legal advisor, Geofrey Mphaphuli, granting permission for the visit. This letter is dated September 10.
This prompted DA deputy and defense spokesman Kobus Marais to question the legality of Mapisa-Nqakula’s trip.
According to a statement from the Presidency, he “took note of media reports and other comments” on Ramaphosa’s approval of Mapisa-Nqakula’s request.
“President Cyril Ramaphosa received a written travel request from Minister Mapisa-Nqakula dated September 7, 2020. The minister requested permission to travel to Zimbabwe from September 8 to 10, 2020 to hold a bilateral meeting with his counterpart from Zimbabwe, Veterans Defense and War Minister Ms Oppah Chamu Muchinguri-Kashiri, “the statement read.
Request
As the President was not in Gauteng at the time the Minister submitted her request, he verbally approved the trip on September 8, 2020 and signed the relevant documentation upon his return to Gauteng.
On September 10, the Presidency gave the minister written confirmation that the president had approved her trip.
“The written confirmation provided by the Presidency forms part of the minister’s report to the president on the flight to Zimbabwe, which has been published by the Presidency.”
However, the Presidential statement is silent on the matter of the Ministerial Manual, which clearly states that a minister must request presidential approval at least two weeks before the departure date.
“The ministers and vice ministers must address the president in writing to request approval of the planned visit and, in the case of a planned official visit abroad, such request must be at least two weeks before departure. Such request, in the case of a minister, it must be accompanied by a request for the appointment of an acting minister, “the manual reads.
Mapisa-Nqakula’s request for presidential approval does not detail the urgency of the visit, and does not mention that the ANC comrades would be in his entourage.
Accepted
He admitted in his second report to Ramaphosa that it would have been “prudent” to inform him that ANC officials would also be on the flight.
A week before Mapisa-Nqakula’s request to travel to Zimbabwe, Ramaphosa addressed the media after an ANC NEC meeting, where the ANC’s relationship with Zanu-PF emerged.
“The secretary general [of the ANC, Ace Magashule] the delegation that will travel to Zimbabwe in days to meet with Zimbabwe’s ruling Zanu-PF party will end, “Ramaphosa said.
He added that both he and Zanu-PF leader Emmerson Mnangagwa (also President of Zimbabwe) wanted the meeting to take place “as quickly as possible.”
After considering Mapisa-Nqakula’s reports on the matter, Ramaphosa discovered that he had made a “mistake in judgment” and reduced his salary for three months. This was announced on Saturday.
