Former Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula has spoken publicly for the first time about the controversial 2020 Zimbabwe trip involving ANC leaders travelling aboard a South African National Defence Force (SANDF) aircraft.
Speaking during an interview on the African Renaissance Podcast hosted by former Economic Freedom Fighters MP Mbuyiseni Ndlozi, Mapisa-Nqakula claimed President Cyril Ramaphosa had authorised the mission before later distancing himself from the fallout.
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The controversy relates to an official trip to Harare in September 2020, when several ANC national executive committee (NEC) members travelled on a South African Air Force jet for a bilateral engagement with Zimbabwe’s ruling party, Zanu-PF.
ANC Delegation Travelled During Covid-19 Lockdown Restrictions
The delegation included senior ANC and government officials tasked with engaging Zimbabwe’s governing party amid unrest in the country at the time.
Mapisa-Nqakula said ANC envoys previously sent to Zimbabwe had been turned back without delivering their message.
“I’m not a person who says no to the organisation,” she said.
She explained that strict Level 5 Covid-19 lockdown regulations meant there were no commercial flights operating, leaving the SANDF aircraft as the only practical option.
According to Mapisa-Nqakula, Zimbabwe had initially proposed that the meeting take place in the Kruger National Park, but she claimed Ramaphosa insisted the delegation travel to Zimbabwe instead.
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She said she agreed to travel only if the full ANC delegation could accompany her aboard the military aircraft.
“I wasn’t going to fly alone and leave the rest of the delegation behind,” she said.
Mapisa-Nqakula Says Ramaphosa Assisted With Zimbabwe Trip
Mapisa-Nqakula claimed she informed Ramaphosa before departure and said he helped secure landing clearance from Zimbabwean authorities, including intervention by Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
However, she said she was shocked after returning to South Africa and seeing reports accusing her of misconduct.
“All TV stations, media houses, everybody is talking about a minister of defence who has gone rogue,” she said.
She said Ramaphosa later issued a public statement giving her 48 hours to explain the use of the SANDF aircraft.
Mapisa-Nqakula said she immediately contacted both Ramaphosa and the SANDF chief.
“I said, ‘Mr President, I didn’t go to Zimbabwe on a jolly ride,’” she recalled.
According to her account, Ramaphosa acknowledged concerns over the wording of the statement and blamed “overzealous” advisers.
“But you’ve signed the letter,” she said she told him.
Former Defence Minister Says She Felt Betrayed By ANC
Mapisa-Nqakula said she chose not to publicly challenge Ramaphosa because she feared creating “a constitutional crisis” for the ANC.
The matter was later investigated by the Public Protector, who ruled against her.
“You never heard once this person calling a media briefing and explaining herself,” she said.
She added that she later addressed ANC NEC members ahead of the party’s 2022 elective conference, where she explained the circumstances surrounding the trip.
According to Mapisa-Nqakula, Fikile Mbalula later admitted he had not known the full details of the matter.
She also claimed the Presidency instructed the ANC to reimburse the state for the flight costs. The ANC, under then treasurer-general Paul Mashatile, reportedly paid around R140,000 to the SANDF after the costs were calculated.
“It had everything to do with the African National Congress,” she said.
Mapisa-Nqakula said the experience left her feeling abandoned by the ANC leadership.
“I felt so used by my organisation,” she said.
Mapisa-Nqakula Reflects On July 2021 Unrest
During the interview, Mapisa-Nqakula also reflected on the July 2021 unrest in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, defending the deployment of the SANDF following consultations between Ramaphosa and political parties.
“On day one of the deployment of the Defence Force, everything just came to a standstill,” she said.
She described the unrest as involving “pockets of counter-revolution”, but stopped short of calling it a full insurrection against the state.
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