Gupta Son Loses South African Citizenship
Kamal Singhala, the son of fugitive Ajay Gupta, has been stripped of his South African citizenship, reports City Press. Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber informed Singhala through a letter that his citizenship had been revoked and instructed him to return his naturalization certificate. The decision follows irregularities identified by Schreiber's team regarding the approval of Singhala's citizenship in 2015. Initially, Singhala's application was rejected on January 22, 2015, by then-Minister Malusi Gigaba based on recommendations from the department's review committee. However, just nine months later, on September 1, 2015, Gigaba approved a second application despite regulations under Section 5(8) of the Citizenship Act requiring a one-year interval between applications. In September, Schreiber had given Singhala 15 days to present reasons in person why his citizenship should not be revoked. Although Singhala submitted written representations, they failed to persuade the minister. Instead of addressing the matter directly, Singhala allegedly criticized Schreiber's integrity and disparaged his staff, as noted in the minister's letter.
14 Illegal Miners Arrested in Stilfontein
Police have apprehended 14 illegal miners, including a 14-year-old boy, at a mining shaft in Stilfontein, North West, after they surfaced from underground, reports SABC News. National Police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe said that the miners emerged at night, assuming officers were no longer stationed at the site. Upon noticing the police, several miners fled back into the shaft. Mathe said that the illegal miners are not trapped underground but are choosing to remain there, despite the risks. Interviews with some of the arrested miners revealed claims of heavily armed men within the shafts who control the operation and withhold food being supplied to those underground. The arrested miners are currently being held in SAPS detention cells.
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Two Arrested for R2 Million Travel Scam
Two women, aged 59 and 53, have been arrested in Strand for allegedly defrauding nearly 80 people out of approximately R2 million through a fake travel scheme, reports SABC News. Police spokesperson Malcolm Pojie said the suspects lured victims with a social media ad promoting a trip to Thailand for R26,000 per person. Victims realized the trip was a scam when it failed to materialize and filed complaints at police stations across Gauteng, Northern Cape, Eastern Cape, and Western Cape. Pojie said that payments were made directly to the suspects' bank accounts. Following investigations, the cases were centralized in the Western Cape, where the women were arrested at their homes. The suspects, who could not account for the missing funds, face charges of fraud, theft, and money laundering and will appear in the Strand Magistrate's Court.
