SABC News Online
Monday, December 11, 2006
President Thabo Mbeki says those found responsible for the travel arrangements of Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, the deputy president, to the UK should account for any wrongdoing.
Mbeki was responding to recent reports that Mlambo-Ngcuka's trip caused taxpayers a staggering R4.5 million.
Yesterday Mosiuoa Lekota, the defence minister, announced that he is to appoint an independent board of inquiry into the hiring of a private jet to transport Mlambo-Ngcuka to Britain.
Phumzile's trip aimed at strengthening relations
Mlambo-Ngcuka's visit was aimed at increasing international understanding of and support for the Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative (Asgisa), and the Joint Initiative on Priority Skills Acquisition (Jipsa), the Presidency said on the eve of the trip.
Mbeki told journalists that "the minister of defence was quite right to intervene in the matter, in the way that he did, and to explain that the deputy president does not decide what plane to use".
"It is a matter that falls entirely on the defence force and indeed I am quite sure that the minister was quite right to constitute an inquiry. I do hope that the inquiry will come out with the truth and the people responsible for this must accept the necessary consequences," said Mbeki.