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Maynier hits back as Gigaba urges SA not to focus on Gupta 'sideshows'

Cape Town – Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba’s plea that South Africans focus on solving the economic crisis and not on Gupta “sideshows” has been met with scathing criticism from Democratic Alliance finance spokesperson David Maynier.

Gigaba was confirming reports that he had personally approved the naturalisation application by the Guptas to become South Africa citizens, which he said was done “within the prescripts of the law”.

Gigaba has requested the Department of Home Affairs to “provide chronological details of how all applications by the Gupta family … (to show that the) whole process has been handled by the book in terms of our laws”, he said in a statement on Tuesday.

His statement comes after the EFF said they were taking the matter to court, as a Home Affairs official had initially denied the Guptas their naturalisation application.

“It is … unfortunate that the focus of the nation is diverted towards spurious sideshows when the country is faced with massive economic challenges.

“The minister calls on all sectors of South African society to channel their energies on the urgent priority of boosting economic growth and rebuilding confidence in the economy following the credit-rating downgrades.

“The sensational nature of the media reports on this issue has been unfair.” the statement read.

However, Maynier said this “is no side issue”.

“The fact is there is a strong impression that President Jacob Zuma appointed the minister with the Guptas’ stamp of approval and that the minister is close to the Guptas,” he told Fin24 on Tuesday.

“The minister can run but he cannot hide from hard questions about his relationship with the Guptas.

“That is why the minister should act in the best interests of National Treasury and issue a public statement: setting out all the facts including the details of every meeting, every decision, and every gift ever received from or relating to the Guptas; and reassuring the public that he is committed to serving the public interest rather than the private interests of the Guptas.

“We simply cannot afford for the whiff of corruption and maladministration to waft around National Treasury,” he said.

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