By Siyabonga Mkhwanazi
Parliament – Home Affairs Minister Hlengiwe Mkhize has indicated that the Guptas are not the only family to have been given special treatment when they were granted early naturalisation in South Africa.
In a list sent to Parliament on Monday of people granted early naturalisation in the country, Mkhize named 22 individuals, including several Gupta family members, who were naturalised between 2012 and last year.
The naturalisation of the Guptas led to a huge public outcry and parties in Parliament called for former home affairs minister Malusi Gigaba to account how processes were flouted to allow for the speeding up of the process to naturalise the family.
In the letter to the Speaker, Baleka Mbete, Mkhize confirmed that the process was undertaken by her predecessor.
“In terms of Section 5 (9) (a) of the South African Citizenship Act, 1995… as amended, I hereby submit the names of the persons who were granted early naturalisation by the previous minister of home affairs,” said Mkhize in the letter.
This was from June 2012 to February last year.
Read further: https://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/not-only-guptas-got-citizenship-speeded-up-10798769