“The department has appealed to VFS Global to continue being transparent and they have agreed to share details of their company directorships,” he said.Apleni was at pains to deny that the deal was signed on the watch of current Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba, pointing out that in fact it dated from the tenure of his predecessor Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.

“The tendering processes were followed to the letter when the department appointed VFS Global,” Apleni said.“The Department went on tender in 2010. At the time, Minister Malusi Gigaba was not with the department. That being said, we must make it very clear that our illustration of the minister’s absence at the time is in no way to be perceived as the department admitting to any irregularities on the part of the minister’s predecessors.”

Apleni pointed out that VSF had contracts with 50 other governments.Last week, the Democratic Alliance’s Haniff Hoosen said the opposition party had found that a local company, Islandsite Investments, with Duduzane Zuma and Rajesh Gupta as two of its directors, benefitted from visa applications made to travel in South Africa.

ANA