Share

Defence minister to hold briefing on Ramaphosa Japan plane

Johannesburg - Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula is expected to shed light on claims that Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa used a plane owned by the Guptas for an official visit to Japan.

Ramaphosa is due to attend a round table "Men's Dialogue" at Constitution Hill in Johannesburg on promoting health and well-being of families and communities on the same morning.

On Wednesday, it was reported that the defence department hired the Bombardier Aerospace plane through a state-managed contract with service provider ExecuJet.

The Bombardier Aerospace, with registration ZS-OAK, left Waterkloof Air Force Base last Friday night under the call sign "South Africa 2", reserved for the deputy president.

Ramaphosa was then photographed arriving in Tokyo in the aircraft on Saturday night.

Ramaphosa and the delegation, which included Cabinet ministers, were in Japan to drum up business for South Africa.

According to EWN, the plane is registered to Westdawn Investments, which is owned by the Gupta family.

The Guptas were granted permission to land a private plane for a family wedding in 2013 at the Waterkloof Air Force Base.

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
Should the Proteas pick Faf du Plessis for the T20 World Cup in West Indies and the United States in June?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Faf still has a lot to give ...
67% - 914 votes
No! It's time to move on ...
33% - 441 votes
Vote
Rand - Dollar
18.81
+1.1%
Rand - Pound
23.43
+1.5%
Rand - Euro
20.09
+1.5%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.28
+1.0%
Rand - Yen
0.12
+2.1%
Platinum
922.40
-0.3%
Palladium
960.00
-3.1%
Gold
2,329.87
-0.1%
Silver
27.19
-0.9%
Brent Crude
89.01
+1.1%
Top 40
69,433
+1.5%
All Share
75,439
+1.5%
Resource 10
62,445
+0.5%
Industrial 25
104,051
+1.5%
Financial 15
16,166
+2.3%
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