Parly's Home Affairs committee to probe Gupta family's citizenship

File. Gupta brothers, Ajay and Atul.

File. Gupta brothers, Ajay and Atul.

Published Mar 27, 2018

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Cape Town - Parliament's portfolio committee on Home Affairs will institute a full-scale parliamentary inquiry into the Gupta family’s citizenship. 

The decision comes after the DA wrote to the chairperson of the committee requesting an investigation into the controversy surrounding the naturalisation of the family who are closely linked to former president Jacob Zuma.

In its letter, the DA claimed that several more Gupta family members were granted South African citizenship and that this had never been reported to Parliament.

"Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba and his department only explained the circumstances surrounding the naturalisation of 5 Gupta family members, when there was in fact a further 6 members of the Gupta family that are South African citizens and registered as voters on the IEC database," said the Democratic Alliance.

The House Chairperson of Committees Cedric Frolick instructed the chairpersons of the certain portfolio committees to institute state capture inquiries on June 15 last year, but the DA says attempts to "get the ball rolling on an inquiry were continuously frustrated" by the former Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs Lemias Mashile.

"Under Mashile, the committee undertook a superficial probe into the naturalisation of Ajay Gupta and four other members of his immediate family," the party said.

The DA has welcomed the announcement of the inquiry and says it "will ensure the Minister and the Guptas have no opportunity to dodge accounting to Parliament". 

IOL

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