Zuma name linked to Gupta clearance

Although nobody has said Zuma gave his approval to the Gupta family for the aircraft carrying wedding guests to land at Waterkloof Air Force Base, a national key point - in fact, Ministers and the Presidency have strongly denied any Zuma involvement - the Sunday Times claims his name was used by Bruce Koloane, chief of state protocol and the man being blamed for the debacle. This, it says, emerged in a preliminary hearing into the matter. The report also claims South Africa will ask for the recall of India's High Commissioner, Virendra Gupta, who it says allegedly colluded with Koloane, who has been suspended along with three generals and a colonel. The Sunday Times report quotes an unnamed senior government official as saying 'on the advice of Koloane, the High Commissioner made a request (through the commission's defence attaché) directly to the command unit at Waterkloof'. Other media reports quote Democratic Alliance defence spokesperson David Maynier as saying the investigations and suspensions were nothing but 'a carefully crafted damage control exercise designed to protect President Jacob Zuma and members of his Cabinet from the political fallout of Guptagate'. Full Sunday Times report (subscription needed)

Justice Minister Jeff Radebe was among those who moved to absolve the executive of any blame in the matter, at the same time insisting government wants answers about the security breach at the facility. A BDlive report says government has now suspended, or placed on special leave, several senior officials. The report adds three people have been arrested in connection with providing an unofficial armed escort for the guests from Waterkloof to the wedding at Sun City. A report on the News24 site says Zuma has welcomed the investigations under way, but emphasised that the investigation should not be allowed to impact negatively on the relations between South Africa and India. Full BDlive report Full report on the News24 site

The Zuma-Gupta entanglement is explored by constitutional law expert Pierre de Vos in an article in the Sunday Tribune. De Vos writes: 'Not even the most gullible South African is going to believe that a plane with 200 guests attending the private wedding of a foreign national would have been allowed to land at an air force base if the uncle of the bride was not financially entangled with President Jacob Zuma and his family.' He lists a series of reported links between the Zuma and Gupta families and suggests 'the bizarre favouritism shown to the Guptas by members of the government' in regard to the wedding incident would have resulted in any independent corruption-fighting body at least starting an investigation into the possible links between the 'gratifications' provided to various Zumas and the benefits received by the Guptas in return. 'But this will not happen because there is no truly independent corruption-fighting unit in SA that would decide - based on the prima facie evidence and acting without fear, favour or prejudice - to investigate either the Guptas or the President for potential involvement in a corrupt relationship.' Full article in the Sunday Tribune (subscription needed)