Gravy plane: the plot thickens

Taxpayers' money, in addition to bankrolling a holiday for Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, has also paid for a holiday for her friend, Thuthukile Mazibuko-Skweyiya. She's the wife of Zola Skweyiya, the minister of social welfare.

After two days of refusing to clarify this issue, the Presidency has finally agreed to issue a comprehensive "clarification statement" on Tuesday. This comes in the wake of repeated attempts to get comment on the issue from the Presidency, the ministry of social development and the government's communications service. Pretoria News

Haitian Gravy Train:
For some people the year started with a series of bad days in the office. Mbeki, for example, started 2004 with a visit to Haiti to attend the island's bicentennial independence celebrations but some of the president Jean-Bertrand Aristide's opponents fired at South African security personnel and Mbeki soon returned home. More

Before long Aristide was also on his way to south Africa. He's settled in Pretoria where he occupies a pleasant office at Unisa and teaches theology or How To Be a President.

South Africa donated R10-million to help fund the celebration of Haiti's independence More facts