Gupta Air flies high

27 August 2015 - 02:42 By Mandy Wiener, Shaun Smillie and Olebogeng Molatlhwa

Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa and a delegation flew to Japan in a Gupta family jet at a cost of millions of rands. Besides the cost, questions are being raised as to why a jet owned by a company of which President Jacob Zuma's son, Duduzane, is a director was used to transport VIPs.Yesterday, the Department of Defence, which hired the plane, could not say how much the flight cost. Spokesman Siphiwe Dlamini said this would be disclosed only next year in the department's annual budget."The South African Air Force leases when an aircraft is unsuitable for the trip to be undertaken or when the aircraft is due for service or is in service. Such leasing is done through a central contract managed by the government through the national Treasury, RTC-61 Contract," he said.It is believed the presidential plane will soon be heading to China, and that there are not enough pilots."This [flight to Japan] is very strange and it poses the question, even though it was hired through Execujet, why specifically the Gupta family's jet," said the DA spokesman on defence, Kobus Marais. He would pose questions about this in parliament.Marais said there were other air force aircraft that could have been used, including the presidential jet. Another alternative was to do what some other heads of states, like the British prime minister, did and use the national carrier."If the national carrier is good enough for us, it is good enough for them," Marais said.The Economic Freedom Fighters party is also seeking clarity."As the EFF, we have as a matter of urgency written a question for written reply to both the minister of defence and the minister of finance, seeking clarity on whether proper procurement processes were followed in granting the contract to a company owned by the friends of the president and his son," EFF acting national spokesman Lehlohonolo Fana Mokoena said."We call on state institutions to investigate as a matter of urgency the hold that the Gupta family has over President Zuma, which allows them to treat our country and its coffers the way they do," Mokoena said.Zuma's close relationship with the Gupta family from India was heavily criticised in April 2013 when a plane chartered by the Guptas carrying 270 wedding guests was allowed to land at Waterkloof Air Force Base. A government investigation exonerated Zuma and his cabinet, and blamed the landing on ''collusion'' by officials. Only one was sanctioned.According to the South African Airways website, the cheapest business-class return ticket from Johannesburg to Tokyo costs just under R42000.Aviation experts and a jet hire company website estimate that the Bombardier Global Express 6000 fight would have cost in excess of R5-million, with the cost of hiring the plane usually starting at about $9000 an hour.Political analyst Daniel Silke said Ramaphosa did not do himself any good by entangling himself in the controversies of the Gupta family.''This is a poor public relations issue for the deputy president. There is enough scepticism in South Africa around the perceived favour to the Gupta family of business deals. Perhaps Mr Ramaphosa, or his close aides, did not consider the knock-on effect of using this particular aircraft."I can only describe this matter as foolhardy considering past controversies involving the Guptas," said Silke.There would have to be a determination on whether the aircraft was leased at market-related fees or at a reduced price.Should the latter prove true, it would stand to reason that the arrangement was intended to curry favour with the deputy president with the expected payment thereof being a potentially lucrative business deal to follow later, said Silke.The Gupta family said they were not involved directly in the leasing of the plane to the government delegation."Execujet has an agreement with Westdawn to charter the aircraft on a commercial basis when not in use by ourselves .We are not involved in any of Execujet's arrangements with any other third party and have no knowledge on the detail of any of said third-party arrangements," the family's spokesman, Gary Naidoo, said.Ramaphosa led the high-level government and business delegation to Japan to promote political and economic relations between the two countries. "It's been hugely successful and we are all very happy with the way that the visit went," he said on Tuesday at the conclusion of his official visit.Defence analyst Helmoed Heitman said it was common for airforces around the world to hire planes to ferry high-level government officials."If you have them having to change flights, and stop over, it becomes a cock-up with security problems and diplomatic issues," he said.Even the British prime minister flew with the Royal Air Force if he had to fly to a hostile country.Heitman added that the Department of Defence had had a long relationship with Execujet.The ideal situation, said Heitman, would be for the SA National Defence Force to buy more planes that could be used in multiple roles, including flying VIPs.In April, there was an outcry when the government announced it was planning to buy three new jets to transport VIPs at a cost of R2-billion...

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