The public protector has found that former Minister of Defence Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula was in breach of the Constitution when she gave her African National Congress (ANC) comrades a lift to Zimbabwe on a state trip.
Mapisa-Nqakula had been authorized to meet her counterpart in Harare when she ferried six of her ANC colleagues, including suspended party secretary general Ace Magashule.
This was during level 2 of the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions in September 2020.
Acting Public Protector Kholeka Gcaleka found that Mapisa-Nqakula’s action constituted improper conduct under the Public Protector Act.
“It is found that Mapisa-Nqakula’s conduct of ferrying the ANC delegation to and from Harare in an SANDF [South African National Defence Force] aircraft was in breach of Section 96 of Section 1(c) of the Constitution in the sense that state resources were inappropriately used to improperly benefit the political party,” Gcaleka said.
She also said the former minister’s actions gave improper advantage and unlawful enrichment to the governing ANC.
Gcaleka, however, said no remedial action was to be taken against Mapisa-Nqakula as the president has already admonished her and the former minister forfeited three months of her salary.
-EWN
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