The instruction to fast-track the Guptas’ and their associates’ visas came from home affairs minister Malusi Gigaba’s office early in 2015‚ according to a senior departmental official. Major Kobese‚ a former director in the department’s foreign office responsible for co-ordination and support‚ told stunned MPs at the ongoing parliamentary inquiry into the early naturalisation of Gupta family members that he received a call from Gigaba’s chief of staff early in 2015 asking him to assist Gupta associate Ashu Chawla. The leaked Gupta e-mails showed that Chawla‚ the chief operating officer of the Gupta-controlled Sahara Computers‚ used Kobese as his connection at the home affairs department to secure preferential treatment on the processing of visas for the Guptas and their associates in India. There were also e-mails that Chawla wrote to Kobese demanding that visas be issued on the same day. “Me knowing Mr Chawla didn't just arise from the sky or drop from the sky‚” Kobese told MPs on ...

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