South African Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka went to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on holiday, her office said in a letter to news organisations on Friday.
This follows a growing controversy in the media — and among opposition parties — about her December trip in a military aircraft paid for by the state.
The South African Broadcasting Corporation has created the wrong impression, according to her adviser Kanyo Gqulu, that Mlambo-Ngcuka travelled to the UAE on a fact-finding mission, that it had been half holiday and half business, and that she was there to study crane-building businesses.
This is wrong, Gqulu said.
”I would like to set the record straight by reiterating what was earlier stated in the media statements issued by the Presidency and [confirmed by the deputy president in her interview] to the effect that Ms P Mlambo-Ngcuka went to the UAE on holiday.
”The actual modalities of transport are determined on the basis of security; in this instance the deputy president was advised that the provision of security would be best served through the use of SANDF [South African National Defence Force] transport.”
Security arrangements were determined in terms of the security manual and risk-management system — both passed by Cabinet.
”In terms of these, their movement remains at all times a security matter and their physical security a permanent responsibility, rather than a benefit.
”The Presidency and the SA Police Service and the president and deputy president do not themselves decide on the manner or modalities of movement,” he said.
Gqulu reiterated: ”Contrary to yesterday’s [Thursday] and today’s [Friday] reports, she did not travel to the UAE on a fact-finding mission, nor did she go there on half business, half holiday, and she did not go there to study crane-building businesses.”
He said further than in her interview with the SABC on Thursday, ”the deputy president stated that she went to the UAE on holiday but chose her destination based on the ongoing discussions she’s been having with the Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative South Africa.
”In these deliberations, it had become apparent that the UAE could offer opportunities to train South Africans in project management for infrastructure development. This skill is highly sought after in our country in the context of accelerated and shared growth.
”In her interview with the SABC, the deputy president referred to cranes only to make a point about the visibility and presence of cranes in the extraordinary infrastructure developmental work taking place in the UAE.
”All the visits and the meetings the deputy president conducted, with the purpose of creating the framework and sourcing out training opportunities, were informal.
”I hope that by setting the record straight, we have settled this matter once and for all,” said Gqulu. — I-Net Bridge