Lekota defends deputy president’s flights

Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota has lashed out at reports about Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka’s 13-minute flight in a sophisticated intercontinental jet to Sun City this week. Cheaper, alternative planes were listed in the report, but Lekota says they are command fighters and are not used for carrying passengers. He added that what he called disloyal members of the airforce who gave out the information would be investigated as this was effectively a security threat.

Commenting on the deputy president's expensive flight to Abu Dhabi in December, Lekota said neither the deputy president nor the president had a say in the planes they used, as that was the responsibility of the ministry of defence.