Share

Defence minister: Everything done by the book

Pretoria – Correct procedures were followed in chartering a plane which happened to be owned by the Gupta family to take Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa to Japan, the defence minister said on Friday.

“All of the information at my disposal talks to the fact that everything was done by the book. There is nothing as far as I’m concerned which we have done [wrong],” Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula told reporters at Waterkloof Air Force Base.

She said it was necessary to focus on the processes followed, not on the owners of particular planes. It would have been a different matter had the air force gone to the Gupta family and asked for a plane.

She said somebody had “mischievously suggested” that Ramaphosa should have refused to fly on the plane.

“The principals never know whose aircraft they are using.”

The air force approached ExecuJet to take Ramaphosa and a government delegation to Japan on an official visit.

This was the second company on a Treasury-approved list. The first company on the list could not meet the mandatory requirements for security.

ExecuJet does not own and operate its own aircraft. It manages a fleet of aircraft on behalf of various owners.

She said neither the air force nor Ramaphosa had a case to answer, as everything was done "by the book".

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Do you think corruption-accused National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula will survive a motion of no confidence against her?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
No, her days are numbered
41% - 535 votes
Yes, the ANC caucus will protect her
59% - 759 votes
Vote
Rand - Dollar
18.89
+0.2%
Rand - Pound
23.84
+0.3%
Rand - Euro
20.38
+0.2%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.31
+0.2%
Rand - Yen
0.12
+0.2%
Platinum
908.05
0.0%
Palladium
1,014.94
0.0%
Gold
2,232.75
-0.0%
Silver
24.95
-0.1%
Brent Crude
87.00
+1.8%
Top 40
68,346
0.0%
All Share
74,536
0.0%
Resource 10
57,251
0.0%
Industrial 25
103,936
0.0%
Financial 15
16,502
0.0%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE