Mapisa-Nqakula to explain ANC’s Zimbabwe trip in Parliament
Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula is expected to account to Parliament’s defence committee for the controversial recent trip to Zimbabwe ferrying members of the African National Congress on an air force jet.
The minister has come under fire after it emerged that, while travelling to Zimbabwe on official business, she gave a delegation of the African National Congress a lift.
The ANC-led delegation visited the country to help find solutions on its ongoing political and economic crisis.
ANC MP and chairperson of portfolio committee on defence Cyril Xaba says they want to hear her version of events.
“The matter has been in the public and as a portfolio committee we cannot shy away when the matter is debated by the public. We then decide that we would request the minister to come and brief us on the developments patinating to the business trip to Zimbabwe.
Xaba says Mapisa-Nqakula is expected to appear before the committee in a fortnight.
“The minister is always in our meetings so I don’t have to confirm whether she will attend or not. She attends all our meetings.
“We have a scheduled meeting, not even an urgent or special meeting. It’s a scheduled meeting on the 16th of October, so what remains for me now is to place the item on the agenda and ask her to take us through the matters,” Xaba adds.
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There are growing calls for the minister to be sacked.
At the weekend, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that she would be docked three months’ salary.
“We have welcomed the measures taken by the president who had directed the minister to explain herself,” says Xaba.
Mapisa-Nqakula’s salary will be paid into the Solidarity Fund established to support the country’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Listen to Cyril Xaba below:
