Johannesburg - Defence and Military Veterans Minister, Lindiwe Sisulu, has described allegations that South Africa was to procure a warship as wrong, unfair and unethical.
Earlier this week, the Citizen newspaper claimed that a programme had been established to procure a warship that could operate "more than a dozen helicopters" and "vertical take-off jets".
It further alleged that President Jacob Zuma had personally authorised the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) to acquire an aircraft carrier as part of a project codenamed "Project Millennium".
Briefing reporters in Johannesburg on Friday, Sisulu said: "I know nothing about the procurement of a warship, so that headline in the Citizen ... was misleading, unethical, unfair and wrong, we need to put that on record."
She said the department would approach the Press Ombudsman about the matter. "We are expecting the Citizen to apologise to us."
The newspaper claimed that the project could potentially cost more than the four frigates bought in the controversial arms deal. The ships were apparently due to be sourced from France, Germany or the Netherlands.
