South Africa: No Ministers Appointed By Guptas - Zuma

The Gupta family has not appointed any minister to the Cabinet, President Jacob Zuma told Parliament on Thursday.

"I appoint ministers here," a confident Zuma said in the National Assembly, in response to a question from DA leader Mmusi Maimane on who was involved in the decision to remove Nhlanhla Nene from the finance ministry.

Zuma said opposition party leaders should ask the Gupta family, as he had no involvement in them issuing job offers.

The president's relationship with the Guptas has been in the spotlight over the past week, with various high-profile members saying they had been offered Cabinet jobs by the family.

On Wednesday, Deputy Finance Minister Mcebisi Jonas admitted he had been offered a job by the Guptas and had rejected it.

Zuma said the only job he had ever offered Jonas was the deputy ministry and nothing else.

The president was not required to consult anyone before removing a minister or deputy minister, Zuma said on Thursday.

The powerful Gupta family rolls out the red carpet for wedding guests at Waterkloof Air Force Base

President Jacob Zuma on Wednesday denied claims by SA National Defence Force officials that he was involved in the "Guptagate" scandal.

"No, I have no prior knowledge, involvement or communication relating to the landing of a private plane at AFB [Air Force Base] Waterkloof," he said while answering questions in the National Assembly.

"The president is neither directly or indirectly involved in the authorisation of civilian aircraft landing at airports such as AFB Waterkloof."

However, opposition party MPs, including Democratic Alliance parliamentary leader Lindiwe Mazibuko, pressed the president for more answers.

"Mr Speaker, a senior official in the SANDF stated under oath that a call was received from Mr Bruce Koloane informing her the president wanted to know and I quote 'if everything is still on track for the flight'," Mazibuko said.

"If the answer is that he did not know about the landing, can the president explain to this House how it could possibly be the case in light of the fact that the landing at Waterkloof Air Force Base included three fixed-wing aircraft, seven helicopters, 88 vehicles and 490 personnel, 194 of whom were employees of the state?" she asked.

Zuma said it was not his duty to know who landed at the country's airports.

"There are so many that land... why should the president know about these numbers? I have given the answer. I had no knowledge. I know nothing about it," Zuma said.

"I can't answer on behalf of an official in some military tribunal, that's not my business," he said.

Two SANDF officials have testified at a military tribunal that Koloane, former chief of state protocol, had indicated to them that Zuma was behind the irregular landing of the plane.

The chartered commercial aircraft, Jet Airways flight JAI 9900 from India, ferrying more than 200 guests for the wedding of Vega Gupta, 23, and Indian-born Aakash Jahajgarhia, landed at the base in April.

The passengers were then transported, either by light aircraft, helicopter, or in police-escorted vehicles, to attend the lavish ceremony at Sun City's Palace of the Lost City in North West.

The landing sparked widespread criticism and several investigations were launched.

A government investigation exonerated Zuma and his ministers, and found that the landing was the result of collusion and name dropping by officials.

DA MP David Maynier said the real issue was Zuma's relationship with the Gupta family.

JOHANNESBURG – Public Protector Thuli Madonsela has described both the leaking of her private letter to President Jacob Zuma and the publishing of it as "not in the public interest" and said it would lead to "a climate of distrust".

Madonsela held a briefing on Thursday afternoon to clarify her position following days of public conflict between the ANC and her office.

Madonsela says she wants to explain how her office deals with investigations, and to clarify her office's understanding of the country's constitutional democracy. On Wednesday the ANC accused the Public Protector of failing to do her job correctly. General Secretary Gwede Mantashe accused Madonsela of abusing her office after a letter Madonsela wrote to Zuma was published in Sunday newspapers.

We are not walking through the forest without a trail – the path of constitutional democracy has been traipsed for 20 years.

She had written to Zuma last week asking when and if he intended to pay back some of the money spent on security upgrades at his Nkandla residence in KwaZulu-Natal.

This was after her office found that Zuma should pay back some of the excessive spending on his property. He had dodged this by telling Parliament that police Minister Nathi Nhleko should decide if he should pay back any money.

Madonselsa said on Thursday that the current conflict and problems were not insurmountable.

She said her letter had been leaked by a senior politician and that the publishing of it had been "improper".

"In my respectful view it not only compounds the problem but highlights issues of mistrust.

"We are far from Paul Kruger’s label of scrutiny as the devil’s principle. But we are not walking through the forest without a trail – the path of constitutional democracy has been traipsed for 20 years," Madonsela said.

She added that her engagements with Zuma over the past five years had been good.

"His office has assisted mine. And there never was drama. There has never been any drama or lack of assistance on any investigation," she said.

The current drama, she said, was over a personal letter. The leaking and reaction of which amounted to interference with her office.

"So what do we do now?" she asked, stating that the current noise was "not coming from Government as an institution".

"My process has always been sobre and evidence-based," she said, asking that stakeholders respect boundaries.

Zuma used state resources to build and upgrade his homestead.  Families neighbouring his home were moved because they posed a security threat. The cost of the upgrades at Nkandla was more than R200 million.

100 cattles for Swazi princess (President's nephew pays lobola for king's niece)

President Jacob Zuma’s nephew, Khulubuse Zuma, has paid a herd of 100 cattle as lobola for his Swazi princess.

The lavish ceremony took place at Swazi King Mswati’s Ludzidzini Royal Village outside Mbabane yesterday.

Zuma’s fiancée is Fikisiwe Dlamini, the king’s niece.

She is the daughter of Mswati’s late brother, Prince Phiwokwakhe Dlamini.

Fikisiwe has several boutiques in Swaziland. She runs several boutiques in the country’s major cities.

The bridegroom’s entourage and emissaries from KwaZulu-Natal arrived in Swaziland on Friday afternoon.

Among the group was President Zuma’s daughter Duduzile, her husband, Lonwabo Sambudla, and Zuma’s cousin Deebo Mzobe.daughter Duduzile and her husband Lonwabo Sambudla.

At about noon yesterday, a fleet of luxury cars started arriving at eLudzidzini for the festivities.

At the negotiations and with his bride-to-be, Fikisiwe Dlamini at his feet.

Khulubuse was dressed in a loincloth and a traditional Zulu headband, with a brown-and-white blanket draped around him.

The two families held negotiations behind closed doors before they went to the kraal to present the cattle to the king, who seemed very pleased.

King Mswati announced he would slaughter six cattle for his in-laws.

The Zuma family will spoil their in-laws with gifts today.