Businessman Atul Gupta said on Friday South Africans should be thankful for the investment the Gupta family was bringing to the country.

"There is so much you can see … hundreds of people are getting jobs, there is a boost to the tourism," Gupta told the South African Broadcasting Corporation.

​​The Gupta family is celebrating the wedding of Vega Gupta (23), to India-born Aakash Jahajgarhia in Sun City, North West.

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Atul Gupta is the chairperson of family-owned TNA media, which produces the New Age newspaper. The family also owns a large portion of Sahara Computers.

Gupta said he did not understand why there was a concern about the landing of an aircraft chartered by the family at Waterkloof Air Force Base on Tuesday.

"I don't know what they want … The airplane had permission. No airplane in the world can land without permission."

Amid denials from one government department after another, it has yet to be established who gave permission for the jet to land at the air force base. Each department is now conducting its own investigation into the matter.

The departments have launched separate investigations into the matter. This includes Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, who ordered that the Gupta family's chartered jet be removed from Waterkloof Air Force Base on Thursday.

Government owes SA an apology
Meanwhile, the Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference on Friday said that the government owed South Africans a full explanation about the alleged misuse of state property and personnel for the Gupta family wedding.

"The situation has not been helped by the way in which various government spokespeople, including the presidential spokesperson, have either declined to comment, or have merely disclaimed responsibility," it issued in a statement.

"This only serves to heighten suspicions about who ultimately authorised such special treatment for a private wedding party."

The conference said the police should busy themselves by combating crime, for which "there is a crying need", and not by providing private security services at taxpayers' expense.

"We cannot afford to gain the reputation of being a country where it is who you know that counts, and where wealth can buy privileged treatment from the authorities," the conference said. – Sapa