In a one-sentence answer‚ Mkhize said they had indeed received proof that some members of the Gupta family had renounced their Indian citizenship.

"Yes‚ they have submitted renunciation letters which they had received from the Indian embassy in South Africa‚" she wrote.

The Gupta family sparked controversy last month when it emerged that their application for naturalisation‚ originally declined by government officials in 2015‚ had been approved by then home affairs minister Malusi Gigaba shortly after his appointment that year.

There had been some questions about whether Ajay Gupta had renounced his Indian citizenship and in fact qualified to be a South African citizen, and it has since emerged that he chose to keep the citizenship of his country of birth.

Gigaba said the review of the application and subsequent granting of the application had been based on new information provided to the department.