DA will still hold Apleni accountable for Gupta naturalisation saga

23 July 2018

The DA notes the resignation of Home Affairs’ Director-General, Mkhuseli Apleni, as a result of the DA’s continued pressure and efforts  to hold him accountable through the parliamentary inquiry looking at the circumstances surrounding the early naturalisation of 5 Gupta family members.

Apleni must know that he will not absolved for his role in the Gupta naturalisation saga.

Apleni is right to resign. During his nearly 10-year tenure, he presided over a litany of disasters such as granting several members of the Gupta family citizenship and compromised national security when the Gupta wedding guests landed at the Waterkloof Air Force Base in 2013, among others.

This shows high disdain for the rule of law and Apleni must fully account for being part of the cabal that sought to sell our country to the highest bidder..

Apleni leaves while the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) is grappling with a number of issues that he has failed to resolve. In 2015, the Constitutional Court ordered the department to re-open the Refugee Reception Office (RRO) in Port Elizabeth after it had been closed in 2011. Almost 8 years later, this office remains closed. This essentially means that the department under the leadership of Apleni and Gigaba is in contempt of court.

These inefficiencies at the department have directly contributed in fuelling the illegal immigration crisis in the country. The closure of RRO’s means that foreign nationals are able to enter and live in the country without being documented. Both Gigaba and Apleni must be held accountable for their failure to ensure that refugees and asylum seekers are able to present themselves to Home Affairs in order to be properly documented, and to have their cases fairly, lawfully and timeously adjudicated.

While Apleni has finally tendered his long overdue resignation, he must not be scapegoated. Minister Gigaba himself must follow suit and also resign.

With the duo at the helm of DHA, services have collapsed and the laws meant to govern and safeguard our country have been severely undermined.

The DA will not tire until Apleni and Gigaba face full consequences for their actions.

Issued by Haniff Hoosen, DA Shadow Minister of Home Affairs, 23 July 2018