Riyaz Patel
Former International Relations Director-General Jerry Matjila said he only became aware of the Guptas’ privately chartered aircraft landing at Waterkloof Air Force Base through the media and not via internal channels.
Matjila is on the stand at the Commission of Enquiry into State Capture which is focusing on the details surrounding the controversial landing in 2013.
The Gupta family had chartered a Jet Airways plane to ferry several hundred guests to South Africa to attend a wedding at Sun City.
Matjila was asked when he first became aware of any plans for a private aircraft to and at the airforce base.
“It was after the arrival of the aircraft. I became aware through the news and social media. I was not in the picture.”
Matjila says there were deviations in the Waterkloof landing on 30 April 2013.
“The bilateral relations desk was not engaged and interdepartmental meetings were not convened.”
“The bilateral relations desk was not engaged fully in the process and interdepartmental meetings were not convened,” South Africa’s current Chief of State Protocol said.
Matjila said when he met with India’s High Commissioner Virendra Gupta, he expressed the country’s unhappiness with the aircraft landing at the base.
“He apologised and knew there was a serious oversight from his part. I can decode to say that it was a very serious error on their part,” Matjila said.
The hearing continues.
