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The DA welcomes that the long overdue inquiry by Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs into the naturalisation of Gupta family members has finally started today.

Tomorrow, Minister of Home Affairs, Malusi Gigaba, and former Director-General, Mkuseli Apleni, will finally answer for their role in allegedly fast-tracking and possibly illegally granting naturalisation to members of the Gupta family.

For far too long Gigaba and Apleni have enjoyed political protection and dodged accountability for their role in this saga.

Tomorrow the DA will be posing the following questions to both Gigaba and Apleni:

• Were they, at any point, given instructions to facilitate extra-ordinary Home Affairs services in favour of the Gupta family and associates;
• If these instructions were given, by whom;
• The leaked Gupta emails suggest that visas were expedited for the Guptas. Was either Gigaba or Apleni aware of the facilitation role that Mr Christians played in expediting visas for the Gupta family? Does he believe that such facilitation of the visas was proper; if so, please explain;
• Did either have any relationship with the Guptas before granting them early naturalisation; and
• Had either met the Guptas at their home in Saxonwold or elsewhere?
• Both Gigaba and Apleni have shown that they have no regard for the law and have been complicit in allegedly selling our country to the highest bidder, for their own personal gain.

The Department of Home Affairs has lurched from one crisis to another under the mismanagement and abuse of Gigaba. The result has been the total disregard of the laws meant to govern and safeguard our country. This has also significantly undermined efforts to deal with the illegal immigration crisis in the country.

It is time that Gigaba and Apleni answer fully for their role in the State Capture project and the DA will continue to ensure that all those involved in putting their own interests above that of the country are held to account and made to pay for their actions.

Issued by DA