"A four-billion rand luxury VIP jet fitted with a private bedroom suite‚ a bathroom and conference room for eight and 30-person capacity is not the answer," said the Democratic Alliance spokesperson on defence matter Kobus Marais, according to BBC online Monday.
The advert for suppliers specifies they are looking for a plane with a range of 13,800 km, meaning it can fly to Moscow or New York without landing to refuel.
The department of defence says the jet would replace the current plane, Ikwazi, which has been grounded a number of times due to mechanical problems.
Reports of the intention to buy the jet could not come at a worse time – after huge public protests by students calling for no fees at universities.
It is not the first time a new aircraft for President Zuma has been proposed. The last few occasions those plans never came to fruition.
So it is unlikely that the state will go ahead with the procurement against the current barrage of condemnation, noted BBC online.
Pikkie Greef from the organisation representing soldiers said, that “there is no reason why President Zuma cannot travel the way President Mandela used to travel which is with stop-overs and refuelling”.
