MPs to grill Gigaba on Gupta naturalisations

WITH a parliamentary inquiry into the early naturalisation of some members of the Gupta family to be held next month, Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba has distanced himself from the issue saying there was no way he could have been involved in the process.

Gigaba was speaking on the sidelines of a naturalisation ceremony conducted by his department in Durban where more than 270 foreign nationals were handed their naturalisation certificates.

Parliament has set aside at least four days next month to conduct an inquiry into the early naturalisation of members of the Gupta family.

This was announced in the National Assembly committee on home affairs on Wednesday, to consider a report of the pre- liminary investigation by the parliamentary research and legal services.

Former ministers of Home Affairs, including Mangosuthu Buthelezi and Nosiviwe Mapisa- Nqakula as well as Gigaba, could be called to testify in Parliament’s inquiry.

“The law is clear about how people are naturalised, the minister does not get involved.

“All of these 273 people who today took the oath of allegiance to the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa… none of them had their application approved by the minister,” Gigaba said.

He said he never gets involved in any processes leading up to the awarding of the country’s citizenship to foreign nationals and he only meets those being granted citizenship on the occasion of the naturalisation ceremony.

He said although appeals submitted by people whose applications for citizenship are rejected were submitted to him, he did not oversee the appeals.

He said he only signs the certificates of naturalisation after recommendations by the department’s committees.

“The process is very strict and all of those documents are going to be submitted to Parliament and the portfolio committee is going to recognise the strictness of the process and how it is conducted.

“If there are any loopholes, we’re confident that the portfolio committee is going to identify them and point at how we should close those loopholes to improve the legislation,” Gigaba said.

Patricia Lizelle James, 37, a teacher originally from Zimbabwe, said she has been living in South Africa for 30 years and only received her naturalisation certificate yesterday.

“I’m so excited about officially becoming a citizen of South Africa because I love this country, my four kids are from South Africa and my husband is also from South Africa,” James said.

Malusi Gigaba