Charge Guptas with high treason - Malema

THE Gupta family should be charged with treason for using Waterkloof Air Force Base, former ANC Youth League president Julius Malema said yesterday.

“We call on the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to charge the Gupta family with high treason for initiating and pushing through efforts that led to the usage of our military air base despite the disapproval by the minister of defence,” Malema said in a statement.

“If the NPA is not in the pockets of the Guptas like many are, it will proceed to lay charges of treason against the Gupta family for undermining and threatening [our] national security. ”

The Guptas landed a chartered jet at the air base on Tuesday. On board were about 270 guests invited to the wedding of Vega Gupta and Aakash Jahajgarhia at Sun City.

The government said it would investigate the matter. President Jacob Zuma has welcomed the probe.

“To suggest that Zuma is not aware or was not complicit in the granting of the permission to his friends to use the air base is just plain foolishness,” Malema said.

He alleged the Guptas controlled the government and the ANC.

“It is not a fallacy that the Gupta family has tremendous control over the ANC and government and have had influence and knowledge of key decisions even before the most senior of ANC leaders are aware,” he claimed.

Malema said the close relationship between the Guptas, Zuma ’ s family and several government officials compromised national security. –