Renewed call to replenish VIP aircraft fleet
The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) says it wants the South African Air Force's fleet to be replenished.
It comes after Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa's SAAF plane had to turn back to the Kruger National Park airport after experiencing in-flight technical problems.
Ramaphosa was en route to the Waterkloof Air Base in Pretoria after being installed as first Chancellor of the new University of Mpumalanga.
"I don't have exact information of what went wrong in this particular case, but in general we would love to have... fleets being replenished with new fleets so that we'll be able to sustain whatever is expected of us," said SANDF spokesperson Brigadier General Xolani Mabanga.
Ramaphosa had to cancel a trip to the Eastern Cape earlier in March, again due to technical problems.
President Jacob Zuma was also left stranded in Burundi in February after the president's plane, Inkwazi, again experienced mechanical problems.
(File photo: Gallo Images)