City Press reports that the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) spent about R5 million on the funeral of its logistics chief, Lieutenant- General Xolani Ndlovu, who passed away last month.
This despite the strict austerity measures and a clear instruction to the SANDF bosses to tighten their belts. Hundreds of defence force members travelled to the Eastern Cape and stayed in guest houses for the funeral in New Brighton. Two of the SA Air Force’s Gripen fighter planes even did a fly-by, although Ndlovu was an infantryman with no connection to the air force. Ndlovu died on 13 November, after a long illness. He was promoted to the SANDF’s head of logistics in January this year, when he was already ill. The nearly 450 soldiers and officers who were commanded to attend the funeral were ordered, according to defence force ceremonial instructions, not to live in the military barracks. They had to check into guest houses and claim travel allowances to cover their meals. The instruction was issued despite a ban being placed two months ago on any non-urgent trips and travel allowance claims. The air force’s travel allowance budget is currently R500 million in the red. According to senior officers, the size of the funeral with full military honours was more or less within the ceremonial guidelines for that of a lieutenant-general, but not the additional expenses with flyovers and private accommodation.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Erika Gibson at City Press (subscriber access only)
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