NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
FOR WRITTEN REPLY
QUESTION 930
DATE OF PUBLICATION: Friday, 10 May 2013
INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO 15 of 2013
Dr C P Mulder (FF Plus) to ask the Minister of Home Affairs:â
(1) Whether visas were issued to the nearly 200 guests who attended the
Gupta wedding at Sun City from 1 to 4 May 2013; if so, (a)(i) when
and (ii) where were the applications received, (b)(i) when and (ii)
where were these visas (aa) issued and (bb) handed over to these
persons and (c) for what period was the visa valid in each case; if
not,
(2) whether she and / or her Department were notified that this aircraft
with nearly 200 guests for the Gupta wedding would be arriving at the
Waterkloof Air Force Base on 30 April 2013; if so, (a) by whom, (b)
when was she notified and (c) what was the
(i) request or (ii) gist of the notification that she and / or her
Department received;
(3) whether any officials of her Department were sent to Waterkloof Air
Force Base on
30 April 2013 to examine and process the travel documents and
passports of the nearly 200 guests of the Gupta wedding upon their
arrival at the air force base terminus; if so, who gave the orders
for the officials to be sent, (b) how many officials were sent, (c)
what were the total costs involved in sending these officials to an
Air Force base terminus where they are not normally on duty and (d)
where are these officials normally stationed; if not,
(4) whether her Department took any steps to approach the Gupta wedding
guests who entered the country so as to process them in terms of
South African legislation?
NW1152E
REPLY:
1) Yes. Normal visitorâs visas were issued to the guests who
attended the Gupta wedding.
(1)(a)(i) & (ii) The applications were received at the South African High
Commission in New Delhi and the South African Consulate-General
in Mumbai in February and March 2013.
(1)(b)(i) & (ii) The visitorâs visas were issued and handed over to the
applicants at the South African High Commission in New Delhi
and the South African Consulate-General in Mumbai in February
2013 and March 2013.
(1)(c) The visitorâs visas were issued permitting a period of stay not
exceeding 5, 15 or 30 days respectively.
(2)(a) to (c) No. I was not notified that the aircraft with nearly 200
guests for the Gupta wedding would be arriving at the
Waterkloof Air Force Base (WAFB).
(3)(a) to (d) The WAFB does not have a dedicated staff, however, it is
serviced by staff from the Departmentâs Local Office: Mabopane
and Large Office: Pretoria respectively. Two officials rendered
the required immigration services at the WAFB on 30 April 2013
as part of their normal duties.
(4) As stated in (3)(a) to (d) above, the Department processed the
travellers who landed at the WAFB.