Zuma clocking up Voyager Miles as patronage pressure builds

By Alec Hogg

A tweet over the weekend from a DA Parliamentarian grabbed my attention. "Victory" it cheered, linking to a report that SA President Jacob Zuma had taken a commercial flight to New York to attend the UN. Victory indeed.

Over the past few months Zuma's acolytes have been agitating to replace the Presidential jetliner with a plane only topped internationally by Air Force One. Although the current airplane has years of service left, it has been experiencing a lot of "technical issues" lately. Cynics say this is to justify the acquisition of a proposed R2bn replacement.

Now comes a Presidential change of heart which would have been inconceivable a year ago. Ever since Nenegate, pressure has been building on Zuma's network of patronage. It is now having a tangible effect.

Zuma issued a statement after arriving in New York heaping praise on his SAA hosts. Clearly he enjoyed the Business Class experience. Here's hoping he'll be clocking up many more Voyager Miles in the future – and save taxpayers a fortune.