Gigaba defends Gupta citizenship
FINANCE Minister Malusi Gigaba said yesterday there was nothing untoward about his granting members of the Gupta family South African citizenship.
Gigaba confirmed the authenticity of documents circulated via social media channels by the EFF. The e-mails show Gigaba used his powers as then Home Affairs minister to overrule a senior official’s refusal to grant the family citizenship because they did not have five years’ physical residence in the country.
Gigaba’s office said he legally granted the family naturalisation in terms of the powers granted to him under the South African Citizenship Amendment Act, 2010.
“The application was handled in line with the procedure that requires the Department of Home Affairs to submit recommendations to the minister for consideration,” Gigaba’s office said.
“The granting of naturalisation certificates of this nature is not unusual. Similar courtesies have been extended to prominent businessmen, including the executives of multinationals, and sports people. There is no impropriety on the part of the minister in relation to how the application in question has been handled.”
Gigaba’s office accused the media of sensationalising the matter and being “unfair” to the minister, saying he had requested the Home Affairs Department to make available all documents relating to the Gupta family’s application for naturalisation.
“It is not true that Minister Gigaba ‘opened the gates’ for the Gupta family; the Gupta family have been permanent residents in South Africa since 2008. Furthermore, there is no ‘bombshell’ in relation to this matter, given that everything was done within the prescripts of the law.”
On Monday, the EFF released two documents on social media – one signed on behalf of the then director-general of home affairs denying the Guptas citizenship. The other document, signed by Gigaba, granted the Indiaborn family early naturalisation.
The EFF threatened to challenge their citizenship in court.
“The EFF has therefore taken a decision to approach its lawyers to take the matter to court so that Gigaba’s favours can be corrected and the Guptas, like all other ordinary foreigners who seek citizenship, must be subjected to due process.
“Gigaba’s decision was irrational and based on nothing else but his corrupt relationship,” the party said.
Gigaba was appointed home affairs minister in 2014. He was then moved to head the Treasury ministry in a late-night cabinet reshuffle in March that saw Pravin Gordhan and Mcebisi Jonas fired as finance minister and deputy minister respectively.
Gigaba’s name has popped up in the leaked #GuptaEmails that implicate him in intimate dealings with the wealthy family. – ANA
THE front page article on a drive to rename South Africa, The Mercury, June 13, refers.
Can our esteemed politicians not rather direct all their efforts at eliminating corruption and getting this country back on its feet than worrying about renaming the country? It’s an old trick, to come up with something new to divert attention from the real serious matters taking place at the time.
By the way, have the Guptas been consulted? MG CHRISTIE Berea