Johannesburg - The names of President Jacob Zuma and other government ministers were used to push officials into allowing the Gupta family’s wedding guests to land at Waterkloof Air Force Base last month, but no members of the executive gave their say-so.
A team of directors-general appointed to get to the bottom of the Gupta scandal took sworn statements from implicated officials – among them chief of state protocol Vusi Koloane – which absolved the president and cabinet ministers of blame, Justice Minister Jeff Radebe told a media briefing on Sunday.
“We’ve got a statement from (Koloane) on record explaining himself on all these issues. That is why we are saying, without any fear of contradiction, that no minister was involved in this matter. The president was not involved,” Radebe said.
But the investigation had established that name dropping was “very bad” and had resulted in “the manipulation of the process” by people who “shared a common purpose and acted in concert”.
These included Koloane – who has been placed on compulsory leave – and the officer commanding movement control at Waterkloof Air Force Base, Lieutenant-Colonel Christine Anderson – who has been put on special leave.
Radebe said disciplinary processes would continue to determine “the guilt or otherwise of these individuals”.
Responding to a question on whether the Guptas themselves would face action, Radebe said “those in the private sector, regardless of who they are, if they’ve contravened any act, they will be investigated”.
But he said a decision on whether or not to prosecute rested with the National Prosecuting Authority and ministers could not interfere.
To put a stop to “the negative culture of name-dropping”, it should be included in the definition of misconduct in the public sector as “gross misconduct”, the task team report said.
It was clear from the findings that the Guptas were not prepared to take no for an answer. They first approached the Airports Company SA with a request for landing rights and “an elaborate reception for the wedding party” in February, but were turned down as it would have “disrupted the functioning” of OR Tambo International Airport.
Their next step was to knock on the doors of Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula and her adviser, again with no luck.
Finally, they went the diplomatic route, persuading someone at the Indian high commission to re-designate the wedding entourage as an official delegation, which would allow them to land at Waterkloof under diplomatic privilege.
Radebe said it was “an undisputed fact” that there had been no official note verbale from the Indian high commission to the SA Department of International Relations and Co-operation, meaning due process had not been followed.
Instead, someone at the high commission had communicated directly with the air force command post and flight clearance was approved through “collusion of officials”. While the correct clearance procedures had been followed, this had been based on “false information and abuse of privileges”.
“Members of the executive were not required to issue any instructions, did not issue any instructions, and did not create the impression that they ought to have issued any instructions,” Radebe said.
The police had also initially turned down a request to provide security for the guests and wedding, judging it to be a private event, but they later agreed to a request under the Safety at Sports, Recreation and Entertainment Act.
“In the interest of the safety of all road users and taking into account that 121 vehicles were deployed by the event organiser, it was necessary that law enforcement officers take charge of the convoy to Sun City,” Radebe said.
However, a “lack of vigilance” had allowed private vehicles fitted with illegal blue lights to “push people off the road, cause delays and inconvenience other road users”. A total of 194 government staff and 88 vehicles eventually took part in the operation, with 296 private security officers deployed at the expense of the Guptas.
The family also coughed up for two fixed-wing aircraft and seven helicopters to ferry guests from Waterkloof to Sun City, the wedding venue.
This had been authorised “as a package” with the clearance for the passenger jet that brought the guests from India, Radebe said.
A number of cases have been opened and more are anticipated, while government departments have been instructed to finalise their investigations as soon as possible so “justice is seen to be done”.
Radebe said the full report would be released this week.
International Relations and Co-operation Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane said the findings of the investigation would be communicated to the Indian authorities through diplomatic channels.
Cape Argus