SA Defense Minister Accuses Ex-Pilots of Stealing Planes

The South African minister of defense has accused pilots who left the Air Force of taking planes with them and putting them in museums, which is why there are no planes for today’s pilots to train in.

Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula made the accusation in parliament on Tuesday. She was replying to a question about why Air Force pilots were being sent to Cuba and Russia to train.

“I tell you that some of the aircraft were taken by some of the people who left the Air Force and they belong to them in their museum,” she was quoted in news reports as saying.

“Actually it started ages ago and some of the people stole some of the assets of the people and left with them. So when you talk about shortages it has to do with the fact that some of the assets were stolen.”

There was no evidence provided of who stole the planes or when, or what museums they went to.