SANDF officers in court over Gupta landing

Four members of the SA National Defence Force were arraigned before a military court on Friday on charges relating to the landing of a private aircraft at the Waterkloof Air Force Base.

   

The four -- Colonel Nomsa Khumalo, Lt-Col Christo Van Zyl, Lt-Col Christine Anderson, and a Warrant Officer Ntshisi -- appeared in the court situated inside the vast Thaba Tshwane military base.

   

A fifth officer, identified as a Colonel Nkosi, was scheduled to appear later on Friday.

   

The matter was postponed to October 2.

   

The group face charges of breaching various dictates of the military defence code.

   

A chartered commercial aircraft, ferrying 270 wedding guests for the wedding of Vega Gupta, 23, and Indian-born Aakash Jahajgarhia, landed at the base in April.

   

The landing sparked widespread criticism and several investigations were launched.

   

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

   

-Sapa