Parliament demands answers from Minister Schreiber on Phil Craig's immigration status

Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber is under pressure to provide a comprehensive report to Parliament on the immigration status of the Cape Independence Advocacy Group leader Phil Craig.

This comes after the home affairs portfolio committee met on Tuesday to consider Craig’s citizenship amid his advocacy for the secession of the Western Cape to form an independent republic.

Committee chairperson Musa Chabane expressed dissatisfaction with Schreiber’s report, labeling it a “by the way response” to all the issues that have been raised.

“We must refer back this matter to the minister to give us a comprehensive detail on all matters involved on this individual,” Chabane said.

Craig has been subject of parliamentary questions with MPs wanting to know the details of his citizenship, and whether he was a naturalised person or permanent resident in the country.

Schreiber has also been asked whether he will initiate a review of Craig’s dual citizenship.

In his written responses, Schreiber referred MPs to the Promotion of Administrative Justice Act and the Protection of Personal Information Act and in at least one response stated that departmental records do not show any application for naturalisation from Craig.

This has not stopped recent calls for Craig’s deportation and denial of his South African citizenship.

ActionSA MP Lerato Ngobeni strongly condemned Schreiber's vague answers, drawing parallels to the recent case involving Miss SA contestant Chidimna Adetshina, when it emerged her mother was undocumented.

“There is absolutely no way we can accept half-hearted reports from the department, particularly the minister, who has the power to confer or accept somebody’s plea citizenship or lack thereof. I doubt that Mr Phil Craig passes the citizens’ test,” she said.

Ngobeni also said the committee should push Schreiber to give an unequivocal response as Craig's application sits on his desk and his thoughts around affording him citizenship in the country.

“The interesting thing about Phil Craig is that he is applying to be a citizen of a republic he does not believe in. We don’t currently have a Republic of the Western Cape in this country,” she said.

Ngobeni also said Schreiber should receive a strong letter that indicated he needed to come back and account 'the very same way everybody went after Chidima when her matter was on the table'.

“There is absolutely no way that we can tolerate people who want to be in this country to divide it and also to advocate for some kind of balkanisation of our country. It is absolutely unacceptable,” she added.

EFF MP Thapelo Mogale echoed Ngobeni’s sentiments that a strong message should be sent to Schreiber as it was unacceptable that the committee had to wait.

“This matter has been raised for over a month with the minister. In the previous meeting, two weeks ago when he was supposed to come and respond, he did not attend that meeting. We understood that he was in Lesotho for a bilateral meeting but until now we don’t have a clear answer as to the status of this particular individual in South Africa,” he said.

Mogale noted that President Cyril Ramaphosa’s spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said in an interview that Craig was a permanent resident.

“When we ask the minister as members of this committee through written questions to provide clarity on the status of this person, the minister tells us about PAIA and POPIA Acts and all those things that limit our access to this information.

“We want to know whether this guy is a permanent resident of South Africa, if he applied for citizenship, whether that citizenship will be given or not,” he said.

MK Party’s MP Sihle Ngubane said: “We need to put a deadline date of getting feedback from the minister."

Chabane said they expected the report on Craig at their meeting next Tuesday as well as two others on an Mthatha woman who was fraudulently married to a foreigner, and a South African man who divorced his wife in Israel and married another woman in the Philippines.

Cape Times