Cape Town - Justice Minister Jeff Radebe has been handed a report by a team of directors-general from departments involved in the Guptagate debacle, but it may not be made public.
Acting government spokeswoman Phumla Williams said on Tuesday that Radebe had himself committed to briefing the media on the report, but there had been no promise to release the full document.
“What the minister had said was that we have tasked the directors-general to do the investigation and give us the report,” she said.
Radebe had confirmed to her on Tuesday afternoon this had been done – thus meeting the seven-day deadline given to the team.
The minister would let her know when he was ready to give the media briefing, she added.
Earlier, she told the Cape Argus that ministers in the relevant departments would have to be given time to read the report before they could be expected to face the media and provide answers on its contents.
DA defence spokesman David Maynier said it was “imperative” that the final report be made public and tabled in Parliament so it could be debated by the public’s representatives. He said indications were the report would not be made public.
If it was submitted to Parliament it would probably go the same route as the Public Works Department’s report on security upgrades at President Jacob Zuma’s Nkandla home: it would be submitted to the joint standing committee on intelligence and “never see the light of day”.
“The proper process of accountability is in danger of being subverted if the minister doesn’t make the report public,” Maynier said.
It was “precisely” because of concerns that ministers wouldn’t be investigated and that the report would not be made public that the DA had asked the public protector to investigate Guptagate, he said.
The government said on Tuesday that it had taken no decision yet about laying a complaint with India. International Relations Deputy Minister Ebrahim Ebrahim said decisions would be taken only after an investigation into the matter had been done.
“At the moment there have been no complaints to the government of India about the Indian High Commissioner (Virendra Gupta). We are awaiting the findings of that commission,” he told reporters in Pretoria.
The Gupta family has undertaken to co-operate with investigations into the unauthorised landing of its chartered plane at Waterkloof Air Force Base.
“The family is of the firm view that the public is entitled to the truth as far as these serious allegations are concerned,” they said on Tuesday.
The government has insisted no permission for the landing was granted by ministers or the presidency.
The Free State government and its premier, Ace Magashule, reportedly facilitated the landing by convincing defence officials the passengers were on an intergovernmental visit.
Political Bureau