Cape Town - President Jacob Zuma has again denied “prior knowledge, involvement or communication” of the landing of 200 guests at Waterkloof Air Force Base for the Gupta family wedding in May.
And when Cope MP Mlindi Nhanha asked if the president knew the identity of “Number One” - the man who officials say gave the go-ahead for the landing - laughter erupted in the parliamentary benches before Zuma responded in Zulu, saying: “Do I know this guy?”
It was the president’s last question session in the National Assembly for 2013, and the parliamentary benches were packed. Speaker Max Sisulu repeatedly called for order amid laughter and clapping, and he also called for silence when people in the public gallery applauded.
In terms of parliamentary rules the public can attend but not participate in parliamentary proceedings.
But if they had hoped the president would spill the beans on Guptagate, DA MPs were frustrated. Zuma stayed on message - with the odd giggle - about not knowing anything about the controversial landing of a civilian aircraft at the air force base. At least four SANDF members are before a military tribunal.
Last month the hearing heard that then chief of state protocol Bruce Koloane told military officers he had just met the president, who wanted to know if everything was still on track.
So far, Koloane is the only official who has been sanctioned for the debacle, in which three aircraft, seven helicopters, 88 vehicles and 194 state employees were at the airbase. The arrival hall was decked out in flowers for the Gupta wedding guests.
Responding to a follow-up question from DA parliamentary leader Lindiwe Mazibuko, Zuma said: “There are so many thousands of people who land at airports in this country... The president knows nothing about those people...
“I have given the answer: I have no knowledge, I know nothing about it. I can’t answer on behalf of an official in a military tribunal.”
DA MP David Maynier had even less luck when he asked for a presidential comment on perceptions that “when the Guptas say ‘jump’, the Zumas ask ‘how high?’. “
Smiling affably and to applause from the ANC benches, Zuma answered: “He’s asking the question, I’ve answered... I didn’t know. He still asks the same question... Maybe he jumps higher than others, I don’t know, because he talks about jumping.”
Maynier’s question on whether there was a state security investigation into the Guptas was left hanging.
Earlier the president was given a boost when ANC MP Nyami Booi asked him to explain how his office worked “so it becomes very clear to the public that you are not responsible for the day-to-day running of your office”.
Replied Zuma: “The job of the president is not to clear or authorise landings. That has nothing to do with the president. The president leads government, supervises government... Any landing at any airport of any description has nothing to do with the president.”
Earlier this week it emerged in a parliamentary reply that of the four cases opened in relation to Guptagate, two were dropped due to insufficient evidence and one was delayed for unspecified reasons.
Cape Argus