Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
‘No rules broken’ in chartering of Gupta plane for Ramaphosa
THE SA National Defence Force has no case to answer over the use of an aircraft owned by the controversial Gupta family to take Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa and his delegation to Japan.
Defence and Military Veterans Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa- Nqakula told the media yesterday the defence force and political principals would not have known that the jet was owned by the Guptas through a company of which President Jacob Zuma’s son Duduzane is a director.
Mapisa-Nqakula said it was unfortunate that the use of the aircraft was being linked by certain critics to the infamous landing at the Waterkloof Air Force Base in 2013 of an aircraft chartered by the Guptas for wedding guests.
The minister has defended the use of the aircraft for Ramaphosa, saying there were no indications that any procurement process had been violated.
She said ExecuJet, the company that supplied the aircraft, had done so as it was the only one available that could meet the requirements of the Japan trip. These included minimum fuel stops and enough space for the delegation.
The first charter company on the list of those that could offer an aircraft for the trip did not have one that met the requirements.
“The second company on the list, ExecuJet, was approached. They had the Global Express available, (an aircraft) which could complete the flight with only one refuelling stop as well as carry the required number of passengers.”
Reports emerged this week that the Bombardier Aerospace, with the registration ZS-OAK, was owned by the Gupta family through Westdawn Investments, of which Duduzane Zuma is a director.
The use of the jet was procured through ExecuJet, a company that has a contract with the Treasury.
Mapisa-Nqakula insisted yesterday that there had been nothing untoward about the arrangement.
“If you were saying the defence force went to the Gupta family and said ‘provide us with an aircraft’, that would be a different matter.
“People are bringing back the matter of the landing of an aircraft at Waterkloof and now you are linking the two.
“There is no case for the SA National Defence Force to answer here, and there is no case for the principals to answer.
” What was important, and is always important, is the safety and comfort of our principals. That the aircraft belonged to whomever is another matter.
“There shouldn’t be an impression created for South Africans that the defence force went out to get an aircraft from a particular grouping of people. There is nothing like that. You cannot fault us on this one.”
She said ExecuJet had been under no obligation to disclose the ownership of the aircraft it provided for use by the SANDF, nor had it done so.
Reports that the aircraft was owned by the Guptas, a wealthy family known to have close ties to the president, were condemned by opposition parties this week.
The EFF described the saga as indicative of the executive’s arrogance, while the DA called for an investigation.