Parliament set to investigate how Guptas became South African citizens

Parliament’s portfolio committee on home affairs is to investigate how some members of the Gupta family became South African citizens.

This comes after the committee agreed on the terms of reference to investigate what process the Department of Home Affairs followed in granting them citizenship.

Home Affairs director-general Mkuseli Apleni last month confirmed that Atul was naturalised in November 2002 and Rajesh in July 2006.

“However‚ of the five [Guptas who applied for naturalisation]‚ four members of the family‚ excluding Ajay Gupta‚ were naturalised after they fulfilled the requirement to renounce their Indian citizenship given that India does not allow dual citizenship‚” Apleni said at the time.

Apleni said Ajay had a permanent residence permit.

This will form part of the probe into allegations of state capture that house chairperson for committees Cedric Frolick called for.

The investigation will have two phases. The first phase is already under way and entails collecting information from Home Affairs and other entities.

“This phase will also include a call to the general public to provide the committee with any information it (the public) might have in relation to the matter under inquiry.”

The committee will then interview witnesses in the second phase if necessary.

Acting committee chairperson Donald Gumede said the terms of reference should be broad enough to do a thorough investigation.

“The committee agreed that it will also look into foreign employees working within companies of the Gupta family to assess if they had received their work permits as per the prescripts of the law.”