The government is in the process of acquiring three new VIP jets for President Jacob Zuma and his Cabinet – never mind that Zuma already has the presidential jet Inkwazi at his disposal. And these fancy new toys come with a hefty price tag – R2-billion in total – all paid for with public funds.
To be sure, Zuma’s far from the only African president who likes to travel in luxury. However, there is a precedent for downgrading instead of upscaling – *former Malawian President Joyce Banda routinely took commercial flights after selling the country’s presidential jet in 2013.