Airbus A400M arms deal must be investigated

David Maynier, Shadow Minister of Defence and Military Veterans
5 November 2009

The Democratic Alliance welcomes the decision by Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Lindiwe Sisulu, to terminate the R47 billion contract to acquire eight Airbus A400M transport aircraft for the South African Air Force.

However, the fact that the contract has been terminated should not mean that the contract should not be investigated. There have been serious questions for many years about the deal to acquire the eight Airbus A400Ms, and we have to properly understand how it is that we entered into a contract to acquire aircraft the defence force did not want and that the country could not afford.

That is why there is an urgent need to establish a special ad hoc multiparty parliamentary committee to investigate the Airbus A400M arms deal.