Lekota misleading whites - FF Plus

Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota is misleading whites when he asks them to join the SA National Defence Force, the Freedom Front Plus spokesperson Pieter Groenewald said on Monday.

This follow a report in the Beeld newspaper on Monday that the top students undergoing flight training at the SA Air Force who are white would not be trained as fighter pilots because they had to make way for black students.

"We have no other choice. We are obliged to adhere to government's policy of affirmative action," Lieutenant General Carlo Gagiano, Chief of the Air Force, was quoted as saying to the paper.

Traditionally the top students have the choice where they want to go and the top three students chose to be fighter pilots but because they have to make way for black students they will now have to choose between helicopter and transport plane flying.

'We are obliged to adhere to... affirmative action'

"The Air Force has now proven that the aspirations, ideals and hard work of these young people are being destroyed because as a result of their race," Groenewald said.

"The rejection of the top three trainee pilots for training on the Hawk fighter jets, just because they are white, makes a mockery of Lekota," he added.

He said Lekota's assurances that whites would not be discriminated against in the defence force had now been proved wrong.

"The continuous rejection of merit and lowering of standards will cause flying accidents which will not only cause loss of life but will also be wasting taxpayers' money," Groenewald said. - Sapa

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