IEC: Not possible for anyone to vote in SA without being citizen

During a media briefing on Tuesday, Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba said that Ajay and Atul Gupta are not South African citizens.

JOHANNESBURG – The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) says it is not possible for anyone to vote in the country's elections without being a South African citizen.

Pictures of what’s believed to be Atul Gupta's South African identity book have emerged and when verified on the IEC's website, show that the ID number is registered to vote at Saxonworld Primary School which is close to the controversial family's compound.

This is contrary to what Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba told the public during a briefing on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, International Relations and Cooperation Minister Lindiwe Sisulu says that she is surprised to hear that the Gupta brothers do not have South African citizenship.

Speaking to the Karima Brown Show on Tuesday night, Sisulu says that the brothers could be extradited back to South Africa should they be criminally charged, if a request is made to the Indian government.

"As for the whole process on whether or not they're citizens, it actually doesn't hold any water now. We have a treaty with India, whether they're Indian citizens or not, they will still have to come and answer for whatever it is that they're charged with."

LISTEN: Sisulu: SA can ask India to send Gupta brothers back

The Home Affairs parliamentary portfolio committee says that it has now received an explanation from Gigaba on the naturalisation of the Gupta family and hopes to finalise the process.

Last year, Gigaba snubbed the committe after he was requested to appear before it to explain his role in the naturalisation process.

The committee's Lemias Mashile: "The committee will in due course need to consider the full range of facts and the report on verification of some of the information as presented by the department. This will result in a report with a comprehensive recommendation to the House."