Gupta jet’s landing at Waterkloof ‘an insult to those who died for freedom’

The controversial landing in 2013 of a Gupta-owned jet at the Waterkloof Airforce Base signalled former president Jacob Zuma auctioning his executive authority to a third party – “an insult to those who died for freedom in South Africa”, said former mineral resources minister Ngoako Ramatlhodi.

He was testifying at the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture yesterday.

Ramatlhodi, a member of the ANC national executive committee (NEC), made several shocking revelations on the workings of the Zuma administration.

He testified how he fell out with Zuma because he refused to accede to numerous Gupta demands.

Reliving the day the Gupta entourage, travelling from India to a private family wedding at Sun City, landed at Waterkloof with full reception protocol, Ramatlhodi said he and other ministers in Zuma’s inner circle succeeded in persuading the former president not to attend the wedding.

“We said to him, it was unacceptable that a private jet carrying people from another country could land at the Waterkloof Airforce Base – a sacred place.

“The head of protocol – currently ambassador to Holland – said he got a call from ‘Number One’.

“I felt it was a show-off, disrespectful, an insult to those who died for freedom and the country. The Waterkloof Airforce Base was captured and was now theirs,” said Ramatlhodi.

The private landing, accompanied by a police escort, took place despite the area being solely reserved for heads of state.

On the signs that led to his removal from Cabinet, Ramatlhodi said when he was appointed to the minerals portfolio, Zuma’s son called and wished to congratulate him in person.

“I knew Duduzane from when he was a youngster. I kept on postponing the meeting. When I met him at the St George Hotel during an NEC meeting, he told me there was a rumour that I was badmouthing him and his business associates – the Gupta brothers – on criminal activity.

“I told him that if he was involved in criminal activity, I would summon him and ask him about his involvement. He said he told his father about the rumour and suggested that I meet Ajay Gupta to explain that I did not badmouth him. I declined, as I did not know Ajay,” said Ramatlhodi.

Ramatlhodi later informed Zuma about his encounter with Duduzane.

Despite persistent Gupta requests to him and his special adviser Sam Muofhe for meetings, Ramatlhodi did not relent.

“The Guptas then requested my director-general (DG) for the department to increase the order in the volume of The New Age newspaper, which I did not support,” he said. “I declined their invitations to social gatherings. They were pushing from all angles to get me to a meeting and also attempted to get me to their breakfast shows. My attitude was that I did not know these people.”

Ramatlhodi showed a break from the tradition of previous mineral resources ministers and officials, who honoured the post-mining indaba function normally hosted by the Gupta family at their Cape Town home.

Said Ramatlhodi: “I told the DG it will not happen on my watch. The Guptas were out to demonstrate their power in front of foreign investors, showing they can bring the minister and the whole department to their home. Previously, ministers like Susan Shabangu would honour such invitations.

“They would use the dinner to intimidate mining companies that if they failed to cooperate with them, they could lose their mining licences.

“They would also boast about their powers to summon the president and ministers to their home.

“At the time [successor] Mosebenzi Zwane and [four-day finance minister-to-be] Des van Rooyen were not ashamed to camp outside the Saxonwold Gupta family compound, awaiting to be deployed to Cabinet.”

– brians@citizen.co.za

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