Pretoria - President Jacob Zuma has welcomed the investigations into the landing of an A330 Airbus aircraft belonging to Jet Airways at Waterkloof Air Force Base earlier this week.
On Friday, government held a special media briefing in Pretoria to address the unauthorised landing of an Indian delegation in a private plane at the Waterkloof Air Force Base. The at least 200 passengers on the aircraft had arrived in the country to attend the Gupta family wedding in Sun City.
The Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, Jeff Radebe, confirmed that there was no executive authority granted for the landing of the A330 Airbus aircraft at Waterkloof Air Force Base on 30 April.
He said the officials from the Department of International Relations and Cooperation, the South African National Defence Force and the South African Police Services, who were involved in coordinating the landing of the plane, had been put on compulsory/special leave.
The Presidency said in a statement that Zuma was being kept abreast by the ministers involved in the investigations on the steps that are being taken to establish what happened in order to prevent a recurrence, and to ensure that whoever is found to have breached regulations and procedures is brought to book.
“The Presidency urges all affected parties to cooperate fully with the investigation,” it said.
It added that Zuma had emphasised that the investigation and the manner in which this matter is handled should not be allowed to impact negatively on the warm and friendly historical relations that exist between the Governments of South and India and also between the peoples of South Africa and India, “which go back to the very beginning of our respective struggles against colonialism and apartheid.” – SAnews.gov.za
