Former head of state protocol Bruce Koloane has admitted to using former President Jacob Zuma’s name to put pressure on Department of Defence officials to authorise the Guptas landing a privately chartered jet at Waterkloof Air Force Base.
Koloane admitted to so-called name-dropping at the state capture commission of inquiry today but he denied ever being in communication with Zuma or the other politicians whose names he used.
Yesterday, he could not remember the conversation he had with the Defence official but was presented with audio recordings of the phone calls, which refreshed his memory.
In the recording, Koloane said the then Transport Minister Ben Martins had been given instructions by Zuma to authorise the Gupta landing.
He also used the term “number one” to refer to Zuma.
But Koloane insisted he was not in contact with the politicians.