President Cyril Ramaphosa has reprimanded Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula over the ANC junket to Harare on an airforce jet this month and docked three months of her salary.

In a statement, the Presidency said that starting from November, Mapisa-Nqakula's salary for the next three months would be paid to the Solidarity Fund.

‘He (Ramaphosa) found that the Minister did not "act … in the best interest of good governance" as required by the Executive Members Code, failed to adhere to legal prescripts warranting care in use of state resources (and) acted "in a way that is inconsistent with (her) position" as required by the code,’ the statement noted.

A News24 report notes an ANC delegation led by party secretary-general Ace Magashule flew to Zimbabwe on an SANDF aircraft for a meeting with the ruling Zanu-PF.

The SANDF defended this trip saying Mapisa-Nqakula travelled on official duty and gave the ANC delegation a lift.

The ANC first denied there was an abuse of state resources but after Ramaphosa intervened and asked for a report within 48 hours from the Minister, the party then agreed to repay the cost of the fight.

‘The President furthermore directed the Minister to make sure that the ANC reimburses the state for the costs of the flight to Harare and to report to him once that has been done,’ the Presidency said in its statement.

Ramaphosa's office said he considered two reports from Mapisa-Nqakula on the matter and found that it was ‘an error of judgment to use the plane to convey a political party delegation’.

Full News24 report