STAFF REPORTER|
ACTING public protector Kholeka Gcaleka said Monday that former Home Affairs minister Malusi Gigaba did not abuse his power by granting early naturalisation to his alleged acquaintance Ajay Gupta and other members of the family.
She, however, found Gigaba breached Parliament’s executive ethics code by failing to table names in Parliament within 14 days of its sitting, of persons who were granted citizenship in terms of the South Africa Citizenship Act. The former minister is alleged to have taken a direct role in ensuring his accomplices got the paperwork they needed to become fully naturalised residents of South Africa.
However, it’s understood he fast-tracked several procedures, and went far beyond the overreach allowed in his position.
Responding to the public protector on Monday, Gigaba tweeted: “Well, I welcome the key finding of the Public Protector’s report which clears me of the baseless allegations which were, partly, relied upon to hound me out of Cabinet, in November 2018. I shall not be commenting on the rest of this report until I have consulted with my lawyers.”
Meanwhile, weekend newspapers reported that his estranged wife Norma Mngoma is expected to appear before the State Capture Inquiry to testify about Gigaba’s alleged corruption activities when he was a minister.
