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South Africa has canceled plans to buy a fleet of four new VVIP aircraft, including a Boeing 777-200LR for President Jacob Zuma and a Bombardier Global 6000 for Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe. The R 2.2 billion ($260 million) purchase of the 777 and Global had become increasingly controversial, leading new defence minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula - who took office on June 12 - to seek a legal opinion on the procurement. She issued a statement today announcing she had "met with the companies approached to submit proposals for the procurement of VVIP aircraft...[and] informed them that the current process has been cancelled." The statement says the purchase proposal from Boeing had lapsed on June 15, and that South Africa's deposit (reported as $10,000) will be returned. Mapisa-Nqakula says the South African Air Force's existing VVIP aircraft still urgently need replacing and "at some point a new procurement process will have to be embarked on...the department will have to conduct a consultation process that takes into consideration all our circumstances before a new process can start." Plans to lease VVIP air transportation from a private service provider until the new aircraft could be delivered remain intact, but Mapisa-Nqakula says she has asked the defense ministry to "seek legal advice on the status of the process to allow us to make an informed decision" on the plan.
South Africa has canceled plans to buy a fleet of four new VVIP aircraft, including a Boeing 777-200LR for President Jacob Zuma and a Bombardier Global 6000 for Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe.
The R 2.2 billion ($260 million) purchase of the 777 and Global had become increasingly controversial, leading new defence minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula - who took office on June 12 - to seek a legal opinion on the procurement. She issued a statement today announcing she had "met with the companies approached to submit proposals for the procurement of VVIP aircraft...[and] informed them that the current process has been cancelled."
The statement says the purchase proposal from Boeing had lapsed on June 15, and that South Africa's deposit (reported as $10,000) will be returned.
Mapisa-Nqakula says the South African Air Force's existing VVIP aircraft still urgently need replacing and "at some point a new procurement process will have to be embarked on...the department will have to conduct a consultation process that takes into consideration all our circumstances before a new process can start."
Plans to lease VVIP air transportation from a private service provider until the new aircraft could be delivered remain intact, but Mapisa-Nqakula says she has asked the defense ministry to "seek legal advice on the status of the process to allow us to make an informed decision" on the plan.
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