[VIDEO] Gigaba denies being at the center of Gupta naturalisation
Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba has denied being at the center of the decision to grant South African citizenship to the
controversial Gupta family.
Gigaba says there are 62 people with the surname Gupta in South Africa.
"There are 39 who hold permanent residence permits, there are 13 who hold naturalisation," says Gigaba.
He adds out of the 13 people, nine of them were naturalised between 2002 to 2006, and only four in 2015. During that period, 10 children were born in South Africa.
"Of those 9 that were naturalised between 2002 and 2006, when I was not a minister of home affairs... that being the majority including those who got permanent residence permits, prior to my appointment as the minister of home affairs that doesn't place me at the centre of the naturalisation of the Gupta family."
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Gigaba says the department had valid reasons to naturalise four Gupta family members in 2015.
"The letter of the law was fully followed to the full extent. Including at the end of the process, they being asked to renounce their Indian citizenship."
The minister adds, out of the five initial applicants, one refused the offer and is not a South African citizen.
"The four that were naturalised complied upon appeal. They have started applying for citizenship in 2013 when I was not the minister of home affairs."
Watch the video below: