Defence Force chief blows R500,000 on a trip to Cuba with his wife
The DA has accused the government of wasteful spending after it revealed that chief of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF)‚ General Solly Shoke, spent R500,000 on a six-day trip to Cuba earlier this month.
The DA said it would submit parliamentary questions to Department of Defence and Military Veterans, Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula regarding the costs and purpose of the trip undertaken by Shoke, along with his wife and three other military officials to Paris and subsequently Cuba.
The opposition party said it has previously been refused answers under the guise that such information cannot be divulged ‘in the interests of national security’.
“This has simply become the favoured way by Minister Nqakula to cover up details of government corruption,” said Kobus Marais, DA Shadow Minister of Defence and Military Veterans.
The six-day trip to Cuba earlier this month had a R500,000 price tag, the political party claimed.
This included:
- Air travel – business class for the General and his wife;
- A 5-star hotel in Havana;
- An Audi A6 to drive around in.
“Key Defence areas are being neglected to allow senior officials to live a life of excess. Essential equipment is falling apart, and we are struggling to manage peace-keeping commitments. For instance the protection of the ocean economy – which is supposed to be a government priority – is woefully unprotected,” said Marais.
“Surely such excessive luxury is not necessary especially when Treasury has tried to implement austerity measures.”
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