The presidency's explanation for Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka's taxpayer-funded holiday trip to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) last month was questioned by opposition political parties on Tuesday.
Pieter Mulder of the Freedom Front Plus said Public Protector Lawrence Mushwana should probe the link between Mlambo-Ngcuka and Mazibuko-Skweyiya, who has been mentioned in newspaper reports about the "Oilgate" scandal with the deputy president's brother, Bonga Mlambo.
"That the two would be travelling together in specifically that part of the world does seem rather odd," he said. "The public protector needs to consider whether this is really all that innocent."
According to the Democratic Alliance, the "ongoing saga" demonstrated that the leadership of the ruling ANC was out of touch with the public.
Continues Below ↓
"(It) simply does not understand the revulsion which ordinary South Africans feel when they hear about massive extravagance of this kind."
It also questioned why different explanations had been given for Mlambo-Ngcuka's trip.
"First it was a holiday, then it was a business trip, then it was a holiday again, and now it is a fact-finding mission. Get real! What will it be tomorrow?"
Two questions remained unanswered about the trip, said Independent Democrats leader Patricia de Lille. What came first: holiday or government business?
"Did she (Mlambo-Ngcuka) book the holiday before she made arrangements for work in the UAE?"
The ID furthermore failed to understand how the Deputy President could justify taking along other people on a non-work trip at taxpayers' expense.
|
StumbleUpon
Reddit
Digg
Delicious
Newsvine
Facebook
muti
Twitter
