The Congress of the People (Cope) said on Monday that “however noble her intentions”‚ Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula’s admission to “smuggling a Burundian woman into South Africa” means she can “no longer remain in office”.
“If the minister of defence can breach national security in this manner‚ we are well on our way to becoming a banana republic‚” said Cope’s Dennis Bloem said on reaction to the Sundat Times report.
“Who will ever forget how the Guptas landed a plane load of wedding guests at the Waterkloof Military Airforce Base without permission and cleared the passengers without customs checks?”
The paper reported that the minister — who remains defiant about her involvement in the case — denied she had abused her power‚ saying: “I’d do it again if I had to.”
Mapisa-Nqakula conceded that she flew from Waterkloof Air Force Base to the Democratic Republic of Congo to fetch Michelle Wege‚ 22‚ on January 28‚ 2014.
Bloem noted that “this very same minister said then that she knew nothing whatsoever” about the Gupta landing‚ so it “is not surprising therefore that she felt confident enough to smuggle somebody into the country and hoping that it would go undetected”.
“If she wanted to help Michelle Wege enter South Africa‚ she should have followed the normal course and paid for her to come to South Africa with her own money‚ not use state resources‚” he said.
“However noble her intentions‚ she violated the Constitution. She can no longer remain in office.”
During an interview with the Sunday Times‚ Mapisa-Nqakula said she wanted to help Wege‚ who came from an abusive family.
“There was nothing wrong in giving Michelle a lift on the air force plane. My sole intention was to save her from abuse‚ and give her education and love.”
Cope: Defence Minister ‘can no longer remain in office’ after smuggling report
“If the minister of defence can breach national security in this manner‚ we are well on our way to becoming a banana republic‚” said Cope’s Dennis Bloem said on reaction to the Sundat Times report.
“Who will ever forget how the Guptas landed a plane load of wedding guests at the Waterkloof Military Airforce Base without permission and cleared the passengers without customs checks?”
The paper reported that the minister — who remains defiant about her involvement in the case — denied she had abused her power‚ saying: “I’d do it again if I had to.”
Mapisa-Nqakula conceded that she flew from Waterkloof Air Force Base to the Democratic Republic of Congo to fetch Michelle Wege‚ 22‚ on January 28‚ 2014.
Bloem noted that “this very same minister said then that she knew nothing whatsoever” about the Gupta landing‚ so it “is not surprising therefore that she felt confident enough to smuggle somebody into the country and hoping that it would go undetected”.
“If she wanted to help Michelle Wege enter South Africa‚ she should have followed the normal course and paid for her to come to South Africa with her own money‚ not use state resources‚” he said.
“However noble her intentions‚ she violated the Constitution. She can no longer remain in office.”
During an interview with the Sunday Times‚ Mapisa-Nqakula said she wanted to help Wege‚ who came from an abusive family.
“There was nothing wrong in giving Michelle a lift on the air force plane. My sole intention was to save her from abuse‚ and give her education and love.”
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