Ann Eveleth
The air force flights of former defence minister Magnus Malan and his co-accused in the Durban Supreme Court murder trial are saving the state about R7 000 each weekend, according to a South African Airways (SAA) estimate.
South African National Defence Force (SANDF) spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Margie Neethling confirmed the fuel and maintenance costs for the flights amounted to R15 000 per round trip between Durban and Pretoria, home of the 12 defence force accused and their 12- person legal team.
“Although the legal teams are entitled to have their actual travel expenses paid by the SANDF, they are flown between Durban and Pretoria by the SANDF as a cost-saving measure, by utilising scheduled or training flights where possible. The accused are also accommodated on these flights,” said Neethling.
An SAA agent said the airline’s normal commercial flights between the two cities would cost R925 per person. Although discounts for advance bookings could bring the cost down to R492 per person, this normally did not apply to state fares paid by government order, as these were subject to change. Unless an SAA representative agreed a special package deal with the state over the transportation of the accused, the round-trip fare for the group would cost R22 200, not including members of the VIP protection unit assigned to protect the accused.
Neethling also confirmed that “the accused are being accommodated in an Army Foundation facility”. The Mail & Guardian has established that these facilities are located in coastal Umdloti, north of Durban. A spokesperson for the Army Foundation in Umdloti said normal costs for accommodation in the facility’s four-bedroom flats were R120 per day per flat. It is unclear whether members of the group are sharing accommodation at the SANDF’s seaside resort.