Mlambo-Ngcuka+UK+trip+costs+taxpayers+R4,55m,+IOL

IOL, Johannesburg, December 09 2006 at 01:38PM
=Mlambo-Ngcuka UK trip costs taxpayers R4,55m=

Flying Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka to the United Kingdom cost taxpayers an estimated R4,55-million, the Defence Ministry said on Saturday.

This was "irregular and way out of proportion with reasonable standards", Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota said in a statement.

The plane had been hired by someone in the department of defence without authorisation by either the Ministry, the Secretary for Defence or the Acting Chief of the SA National Defence Force.

Lekota said he would set up a board of inquiry, chaired by someone outside the department, to look into the matter.

He emphasised that the Presidency could not to be blamed for hiring the plane.

"Therefore any attempt to suggest that either the staff of the Presidency or the Deputy President herself is to blame, must be rejected with the contempt it deserves," said Lekota.

Welcoming a media report on the matter, Lekota said it would probably not have come to his attention otherwise.

Beeld reported that a plane had to be flown from Switzerland to take Mlambo-Ngcuka and her entourage to the UK - because there were not enough trained pilots in South Africa.

On her return to South Africa, the plane would have to be flown back to Switzerland. – Sapa


 * From: http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=13&art_id=iol1165663143762B231**

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