Inkwazi, the VIP jet used to transport President Cyril Ramaphosa. Picture: File
It’s not clear when President Cyril Ramaphosa’s presidential jet, Inkwazi, will be up and running again.
According to SANDF spokesperson Brigadier General Andries Mahapa, “technicians through industry are still attending to the problem”.
The “Weekend Argus” had reported that the presidential jet was grounded after it hit steel beams while being towed into a hangar at Cape Town International Airport at the weekend.
Defence spokesperson Siphiwe Dlamini told the newspaper that the plane had left the Waterkloof Air Force Base in Pretoria last Monday and had landed safely in Cape Town.
“The people who tow those things, SAA Technical, damaged the tail of the plane,” said Dlamini, adding that it’s “not catastrophic”.
He said the president was not on the plane.
“The tail of the plane is damaged by this knock, so we need to take precautions,” said Dlamini, alluding to the fact that the jet was in for repairs.
The 15-seater Boeing 737 is used to transport the president and is operated by 21 Squadron of the South African Air Force.
DefenceWeb.co.za reported that Inkwazi had been replaced temporarily by a Bombardier Challenger 604 chartered from Comair Flight Services.
“Any development will be communicated in due course,” said Mahapa.
Last year the Presidency came under fire after it emerged that it had paid R1.6 million to South African Airways (SAA) to fly Ramaphosa to the Democratic Republic of Congo when Inkwazi was out of commission.