Air base used with permission: Gupta Family

The authorities gave permission for guests at a Gupta family wedding to land their private jets at Waterkloof Air Force Base, in Pretoria, the family said on Tuesday.

 

"The Waterkloof [Air Base] was used as Lanseria airport could not accommodate the size of the jet chartered by the family," said family spokesman Haranath Ghosh.

 

"The permissions were applied for and granted to the Indian High Commission and not the family," he said. The Gupta family, which owns The New Age newspaper and Sahara

Computers, is expected to celebrate the wedding of Vega Gupta, 23, to Indian-born Aaskash Jahajgarhia at Sun City, North West, between May 1 and 4. The hotel and several of its services would be closed for the wedding, which was to be attended by 400 guests. Another wedding would be held in Saharapur, India.

 

Eyewitness News reported on Tuesday that private jets were landing at Waterkloof Air Force Base and that blue light vehicles were escorting guests to Sun City. Comment could not be obtained from SA National Defence Force spokesman Siphiwe Dlamini. Ghosh said all transport arrangements had been made transparently. "Naturally, suitable protocol was used to receive and transport the foreign ministers to the wedding," he said.