The man widely regarded as former president Jacob Zuma’s “fall guy” in the landing of a Gupta family plane at Waterkloof Air Force Base in 2013 has resigned as SA's ambassador to The Hague amid mounting pressure from the government.
International relations minister Naledi Pandor confirmed during a question-and-answer session in the National Assembly on Wednesday that Bruce Koloane was given notice that he would be redeployed and asked for reasons why he should not be moved.
These reasons were not persuasive and the minister decided to redeploy him but he resigned instead.
Pandor said Koloane was removed because he has brought the country into disrepute. His term was due to expire in December.
The president appoints ambassadors and can remove them based on recommendations made by the international relations minister.
Revelations about the landing of the Gupta wedding jet at Waterkloof base sparked outrage and focused public attention on the controversial family’s influence in the Zuma administration.
Koloane, who was head of state protocol at the time, was suspended soon after the Jet Airways plane landed at Waterkloof. But on pleading guilty to three charges set out by an international relations & cooperation department disciplinary committee, Zuma shifted him to a lucrative post as SA’s ambassador to the Netherlands.
04/09/19 Bekezela Phakathi/Business Live
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International relations minister Naledi Pandor confirmed during a question-and-answer session in the National Assembly on Wednesday that Bruce Koloane was given notice that he would be redeployed and asked for reasons why he should not be moved.
These reasons were not persuasive and the minister decided to redeploy him but he resigned instead.
Pandor said Koloane was removed because he has brought the country into disrepute. His term was due to expire in December.
The president appoints ambassadors and can remove them based on recommendations made by the international relations minister.
Revelations about the landing of the Gupta wedding jet at Waterkloof base sparked outrage and focused public attention on the controversial family’s influence in the Zuma administration.
Koloane, who was head of state protocol at the time, was suspended soon after the Jet Airways plane landed at Waterkloof. But on pleading guilty to three charges set out by an international relations & cooperation department disciplinary committee, Zuma shifted him to a lucrative post as SA’s ambassador to the Netherlands.
04/09/19 Bekezela Phakathi/Business Live
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