Red flags over Guptas, ANN7 staff

Source: IOL News, 24/04/2018

Set to be hauled before Parliament to explain the naturalisation of
the controversial Gupta family, who are at the centre of damning
allegations of looting of state coffers running into billions of rand.
Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba has been at pains explaining that
some of the Gupta family members were naturalised long before he
became the political head of the department.
It has now emerged that there was a strong push to broaden the scope
of the inquiry into the naturalisation of the family to include all
cases of the granting of citizenship to foreigners by the Home
Affairs Department, dating back almost a decade.
This came just a day before the parliamentary portfolio committee on
home affairs met to prepare for its inquiry.
Committee acting chairperson Donald Gumede said they would finalise
the terms of reference on Monday.
“The committee has said we must get to look all the cases of
naturalisation and citizenship granted under the different
ministers,” Gumede said.
“We want to know who is linked to the Guptas and what were the
circumstances to grant them naturalisation,” he said, adding that the
cases were not many, putting the figure at 20.
The inquiry is not expected to take long `unless something happened`,
he said.
“We are all concerned about this,” Gumede added.
The home affairs portfolio committee is among the four that were
ordered by chairperson of committees Cedric Frolick to investigate
allegations of state capture involving cabinet ministers since the
leak of the Gupta emails in June last year.
The Communications Department was ordered to probe former minister
Faith Muthambi over allegations that she shared confidential
documents with the Guptas, among others.
The home affairs committee took a decision to pursue an inquiry into
the early naturalisation of the Guptas only three weeks ago after the
official opposition, the DA, tabled a motion and was supported by the
ANC.
Earlier attempts were thwarted, while Lemias Mashile was still the
chairperson.
On Monday, the DA’s Haniff Hoosen said it appeared there had been a
shift in the ANC.
“They want to get to the bottom of this thing,” Hoosen said.
“The terms of reference should allow us to probe any matter and the
involvement of the minister.”
Hoosen added that there were many cases of early naturalisation that
should be probed.
“There are people in the ANN7 (24-hour news TV channel) from India
who were brought into the country without the necessary documents. I
want us to get to the bottom of that,” he said.
The Home Affairs Department, under Gigaba, had waived naturalisation
requirements although some Gupta family members had not continuously
lived in South Africa for more than five years.
It previously furnished the committee with documents as proof of the
family`s investment and charity work that was used as the basis
of “exceptional circumstances” in their early naturalisation.
However, questions were asked about the authenticity and veracity of
information the department provided.
The Gupta brothers - Atul and Rajesh - were naturalised in 2002 and
2006 respectively.
Ajay’s wife Shiwani, mother Angoori and sons Kamal and Suraya
Singhala were naturalised in 2015 after their initial group
application was rejected in 2014.
At the time Atul was naturalised, the minister of home affairs was
Mangosuthu Buthelezi.
Current Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula was at the helm when
Rajesh was naturalised.
Mapisa-Nqakula’s spokesperson Joy Peter said the minister would
welcome the parliamentary inquiry to look into the matter during her
term.
“She can`t stop Parliament. She can`t say no,” Peter said.
“If Parliament says there is a need to conduct an investigation into
the naturalisation of the Guptas, she will welcome it, definitely,”
Peter said.
Buthelezi could not be reached for comment but had previously said
Atul was already a permanent citizen when he applied for
naturalisation.
He had said applications were processed by the department, which
checked that all the legal requirements were met and then sent to the
minister for signing.
“In my capacity as minister of home affairs, over 10 years, countless
files crossed my desk. I do not specifically recall Mr Atul Gupta`s
application, but this is not surprising as there was nothing
contentious about him at that time,” Buthelezi said when the issue
made headlines last month.
“Clearly no red flags had been raised by the department over his
application, as any red flag would prevent the file from coming to
the minister. The application would have been rejected,” he said.