Alleged Link Revealed Between Foreign Visas and Gupta / Zuma Family Members

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has revealed that the directors of VFS, the company which processes – and profits – from foreigners’ visa applications to visit South Africa, are allegedly President Jacob Zuma’s son Duduzane Zuma and Rajesh Gupta (one of the Gupta brothers).

The Shadow Minister of Home Affairs, Haniff Hoosen, exposed the directors’ names in parliament yesterday.

VFS, which processes the visa applications on behalf of Home Affairs (DHA), was launched a couple of years ago after signing a contract with the DHA.

Hoosen said that VFS has its headquarters in India as well as offices now in Dubai; and charges about R1,300 per visa application.

He said that when DHA Minister Malusi Gigaba had signed the contract with VFS, “he immediately shut down scores of immigration practitioners in the country and thousands lost their jobs.

“These practitioners, who were mostly small businesses, used to generate revenue for their businesses by assisting travellers to acquire visas.

“I wrote to the department about a year ago requesting a copy of the contract with VFS. My request was denied. I then had to file a PAIA application and after all the effort and several requests later, the department still refuses to release the details of that contract.

“The question therefore is what is there to hide? Why is the department refusing to release the contract with VFS?”

Hoosen then went on to reveal “the real reasons” why the DHA had been keeping the VFS contract and all the details around that tender “under lock and key”.

He said that while on the face of it, VFS Global and its offices in 123 countries around the world all looks legitimate, “but when a traveller makes a payment to VFS, a receipt is issued, and that receipt is in the name of a company called Islandsite Investments.

“And the Directors of that company are two very famous people. Duduzane Zuma and Rajesh Gupta.”

Hoosen says he has proof of the names of the Directors and a copy of the receipt.

He said that basically “millions of people who travel to our country, are paying the Gupta’s and the Zuma’s even before they arrive here.

“These crooks are not only fleecing South Africans, they have now upgraded their corrupt operations and will now be raking in billions of rands from foreigners who travel here.

“The Gupta’s have not only captured President Zuma, they have also captured our government and now have they have captured the entire tourism industry.

“Before any tourist even puts a foot in our country, the Gupta’s get their share first. Any person in the world, who wants to travel to our country for work, business or pleasure, must first pay their share to the Gupta’s.”

Hoosen went on to detail the 250,000 documented Zimbabwean citizens whose permits were cancelled and told to apply for a new special permit… again issued by VFS (which allegedly “scored about R300 million from that deal).

“You have to wonder, what was the reason for creating a new permit, when these people were already in possession of a permit in the first place. Well, join the dots and the picture becomes clearer. The Minister makes new regulations for new permits, VFS rakes in the cash, the Gupta’s and the Zuma’s laugh their way to the bank.

“It gets even better. Now Minister Gigaba has recently announced another new permit. This time for citizens of Lesotho. In order for them to stay in the country, legal or illegal, they must obtain the new Lesotho Special Permit. There are an estimate of 400,000 Lesotho citizens in the country and even more are likely to move to SA now that there is a four year permit available for them to live here.

“Soon there will be nobody left in Lesotho and guess who will be processing those applications and how many more millions the Gupta’s will be scoring.

“So the relationship is simple. Minister Gigaba manufacturers new permits and the Gupta’s rake in the cash…”

He said the DA is calling for a full investigation into how this tender was awarded and what role Minister Gigaba had in this deal.

He also questioned the reason for Gigaba accompanying Zuma on his recent trip to Saudi Arabia.