Johannesburg - The Democratic Alliance (DA) on Wednesday called on the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Lindiwe Sisulu to disclose the reasons South African businessman Justin van Pletzen was detained in Dubai.
Earlier, the department confirmed that van Pletzen, who took a video of Ajay Gupta outside a building in Dubai, had been arrested and detained.
"It is alleged that van Pletzen’s arrest is linked to a video he recently circulated about Mr Ajay Gupta whom he met in Dubai. However, this is yet to be confirmed by the local authorities," said Dirco's Ndivhuwo Mabaya.
The DA's shadow Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Stevens Mokgalapa said he would write to Sisulu to find out what charges have been laid against van Pletzen.
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"The DA will also request that the minister set out the steps available to the South African government and which the government is prepared to take if there is no basis for the charges against van Pletzen, or that any of his procedural and substantive rights were violated in the process of detaining him.
"Minister Sisulu must ensure that the government of Dubai is holding van Pletzen in conditions that are consistent with his human rights."
Mokgalapa further added that: "It is well known that the Gupta family has vested interests in Dubai and that they will do anything to escape accounting for their role in the state capture.
"The DA applauds van Pletzen for his patriotism and bravery for filming Gupta in Dubai when South African authorities have been trying to track him down to serve a summons on him to appear before the Portfolio Committee on Public Enterprises, currently investigating the capture of our country’s state-owned enterprises.
He further urged the government "to act to protect van Pletzen and ensure that his rights are not being compromised in an attempt to protect the compromised Guptas".