Siyabonga Mkhwanazi
Cape Town – Home Affairs Minister, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi has reiterated that they chose the cheapest chartered flight when they flew Thabo Bester and Dr Nandipha Magudumana from Tanzania to South Africa.
Motsoaledi said the cost of the chartered flight was R1.4 million and it was the cheapest available at the time when the other suppliers sent their quotations.
Police Minister Bheki Cele had said in the past they could not use the SAPS flight to fetch Bester and Magudumana from Tanzania as the authorities there wanted to hand them over to Home Affairs.
It was at that point that the Department of Home Affairs had to get a flight with their officials to get Bester and Magudumana.
Motsoaledi said one flight cost R1.9m, the other one R1.5m and they chose the cheapest at R1.4m.
Motsoaledi, who was replying to a written parliamentary question from Liezl van der Merwe of the IFP, said the flight they used was the cheapest.
“The Department of Home Affairs is a participant in the National Treasury’s RT61-2018 transversal contract for the hiring and leasing of aircraft and helicopters to the state. Thirteen service providers who are accredited on this contract were approached to submit quotations for the service. Out of the 13 service providers, three responded. The department selected the cheapest option from the quotations which were received,” said Motsoaledi.
He also said G4S security firm will not pay the government for the cost of the flight.
“No, the department will not attempt to recover the costs relating to the charter flight from G4S. The department does not have a legal basis to recover the cost of the charter flight from G4S as there is no contract or contractual relationship with G4S,” said Motsoaledi.
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