Cyril’s leaving on a jet plane, as long as it’s not the Guptas’
Deputy president resists air force bid to foist family’s charter services on him
DEPUTY President Cyril Ramaphosa has defied attempts to make him use a Gupta-owned jet — choosing commercial flights for a visit to Iran instead.
Ramaphosa was caught in an embarrassing controversy three months ago when it transpired that he and his entourage had travelled to Japan using a Gupta jet.
For his visit to Iran last week, Ramaphosa chose to ignore the South African Air Force’s wishes by taking a flight to Tehran, but using a commercial airline — two days after a meeting at which his staffers were told a Gupta-owned Aerospace Bombardier had been secured for his use.
According to a senior government official with intimate knowledge of the meeting, Ramaphosa’s team — for the second time in a month — rejected a proposal that the deputy president use a chartered flight, which turned out to be the Gupta jet.
Senior government insiders confirmed that his office declined the offer.
“It was made clear that this [Bombardier Aerospace ZSOAK] was the only plane that we could source . . . and security concerns were raised about flying to Iran without an air force-vetted plane, but the [deputy president’s] office didn’t want to hear any of that. They [the deputy president’s office] were not going to agree to such an arrangement and chose to fly commercial,” said a senior government official.
The brouhaha over Ramaphosa using the Gupta jet to fly to Japan, and subsequent offers to use the same plane, have led to suspicion among his political allies that he was being set up.
The Guptas, controversial friends of President Jacob Zuma, famously landed a private jet with wedding guests at a military airbase in 2013.
The latest development follows a recent embarrassing diplomatic incident in Paris when Ramaphosa’s luggage was searched by French airport security officials despite protests from his team that, as a deputy president, he had diplomatic immunity.
It has also transpired that his decision to fly commercially for a three-nation tour — to Sweden, Cuba and Mexico — came after the same Gupta Bombardier was recommended to him by the air force.
Ramaphosa was en route to Cuba when he stopped over in Paris. The South African ambassador to France, Rapulane Molekane, was not there to receive him, as per protocol; instead, a junior diplomat arrived at the airport, but was unable to prevent French authorities from searching Ramaphosa’s luggage.
Molekane was apparently at a conference for regional heads of mission, hosted by International Relations Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane.
Clayson Monyela, spokesman for the Department of International Relations, said the government was seeking answers from the French about the luggage search. “The issue . . . will be taken up through normal diplomatic channels.”
The South African National Defence Force has said it does not source the planes but uses the service of charter company ExecuJet — hence the Gupta jet being allocated to Ramaphosa.
Siphiwe Dlamini, spokesman for the Defence Department, declined to comment on the questions about the Guptaowned Bombardier. “The planning and travel itinerary of the deputy president is not for public consumption,” he said.
“If he wants to fly commercially that is his call — they [the deputy president’s office] decide for whatever reasons to use commercial [airlines]. The determination of the deputy president on whether to fly us or commercial is his determination. We provide the options to them and they make the decision,” said Dlamini.
The air force has five aircraft to transport VIPs: the Inkwazi for Zuma, the Falcon 900 for the deputy president and two Falcon 50s for cabinet members.
A military source said part of the problem was that officials attached to members of the cabinet, including Ramaphosa’s office, often sent specifications that few aircraft service providers could meet, forcing the military to look the Guptas’ way.
“We go to a charter company and say: ‘Give us a bus that meets the following specifications and also includes various options.’ Who owns it is irrelevant,” said another source.
The Gupta plane has an ultra-long range and the capacity to fly nonstop between intercontinental destinations.
Ramaphosa’s spokesman, Ronnie Mamoepa, would not respond directly to the questions regarding the Paris incident or the Gupta plane.
Instead, he said: “With respect to the recent commercial travel of the deputy president abroad, the decision to travel commercial was taken in full consultation with the chief of the air force and his officials, taking into account security and safety considerations.”