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Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba will finally account to the Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs, after it agreed to hold a full inquiry into the process that led to members of the Gupta family being granted early naturalisation.
The committee met on Tuesday to discuss a series of emails tabled by Democratic Alliance MP Mohammed Hoosen.
Hoosen said there were more Gupta family members who had received citizenship beyond the initial five that the department first disclosed to the committee.
He proposed that it was, in the public interest, time to put the issue to bed once and for all and set a date when they could call the department and Gigaba to Parliament.
"It will give the public at large the comfort that we have dealt with it and we then decide how we take the matter forward," he proposed.
READ: Is Malusi Gigaba Lying About Gupta Citizenship?
"All of us in the committee have a responsibility to hold the officials accountable for that."
What they wanted to know was whether or not there was any impropriety in granting the family early citizenship and, if so, who granted it, he said.
"Only the minister can answer that," he added.
ANC MPs support proposal
The ANC caucus seemed to finally have reached firm consensus on the issue. ANC MP Maesela Kekana declared it time to deal with the issue decisively.
"Having read the documents, I'm convinced there is a case to answer. Without a waste of time, this matter is of public interest. We are here as public representatives to work for the people who put us here," he said.
"We are not here as praise singers, we are here to make sure we play our role as members of Parliament."
READ: Here's Why South African Citizenship Is So Important For The Gupta Family
ANC MP Dineo Raphuti agreed with her colleague, but not before "raising her concerns" about the whistleblower who made the information public.
"Did this whistleblower go through someone's emails? Is it for personal gain? We need to look at... here is someone who got ahold of emails," she mused.
But she supported the inquiry, she eventually said.
Timelines and documents
Economic Freedom Fighters MP Hlengiwe Mkhaliphi said the inquiry was long overdue, as previous battles to hold had it led to a reshuffle of chairpersons in the committee.
"We must also remember - some of the Guptas - they are fugitives."
ANC MP Patrick Chauke said the committee needed to prepare and put the facts together.
He also had one last warning to those who would appear before them.
"Anyone who has lied before Parliament, there are sanctions. There are very clear sanctions," he said.
The committee will start setting up timelines for the inquiry and requesting documents from the department and minister.
Parliament goes on recess over Easter, and will sit again on April 16.
In the end, the decision was unanimous.

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