Former South African defence minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula says she was authorised by President Cyril Ramaphosa for an ANC delegation’s 2020 trip to Zimbabwe aboard a South African National Defence Force (SANDF) aircraft. In interviews covered by multiple outlets, she alleges that after she and the delegation travelled to Zimbabwe under Ramaphosa’s direction, Ramaphosa later publicly demanded explanations from her regarding the “jolly ride” controversy. Mapisa-Nqakula presents her comments as a response to the allegations and scrutiny that followed the trip, arguing that she feels “betrayed.” The reports state that she speaks on the African Renaissance Podcast, where she discusses her account of who authorised the travel and how events unfolded afterwards. Both sources frame her intervention as breaking her silence on the long-running dispute over the purpose, approval process, and political fallout from the 2020 Zimbabwe trip. The articles do not provide additional confirmed details beyond her claims and her description of subsequent public statements from Ramaphosa.