Johannesburg, Jan 18 (I-Net Bridge) - The opposition Democratic Alliance says it has to get to the bottom of why it was necessary to charter a second back-up aircraft to shadow the presidential Boeing business jet during President Jacob Zuma's recent visit to the US.
David Maynier, DA Spokesperson on Defence and Military Veterans said on Wednesday that the provision of "VIP" flights by the South African Air Force (SAAF) was becoming murkier by the day.
Last week President Jacob Zuma had been transported on "Inkwazi", the presidential Boeing business jet, to the United States. He travelled to the US ahead of SA assuming the rotating presidency of the United Nations Security Council.
The Boeing business jet was operated by the SAAF's Squadron 21 and was back in service after three months of maintenance in Europe, Maynier explained.
However, the second aircraft - a Bombadier Global Express XRS - was reportedly chartered from a private company to "shadow" the presidential Boeing business jet, he said.
"The second aircraft was reportedly used as a back-up in case mechanical failures were experienced by the presidential Boeing business jet.
"This is reportedly not common practice and raises a number of questions, including why it was necessary to charter a second back-up aircraft, as a contingency in case of mechanical failure, if the air force had complete confidence in the operation of the presidential Boeing Business Jet; and if the air force did not have confidence in the jet, and as a result decided to charter a second back-up aircraft, were the president and the passengers on the presidential jet safe?"
Maynier said he would therefore submit parliamentary questions to determine why it was necessary to charter a second back-up aircraft; the names of any passengers that might have been onboard the second back-up aircraft; the cost of chartering the second back-up aircraft; and whether the safety of the president and passengers on the Boeing business jet was compromised at any time during the recent trip to the US.
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