Azra Hoosen | ah@radioislam.co.za
28 November 2024 | 13:00 CAT
2 min read

Open Secrets is demanding answers from Home Affairs Minister Dr. Leon Schreiber about how Swiss national Christoph Huber, accused of war crimes, was granted South African citizenship.

Speaking to Radio Islam, Attorney Jane Borman emphasised that Huber faces numerous credible and publicly documented allegations that fall under the category of war crimes.

According to Open Secrets, Huber is accused of exploiting natural resources from conflict zones in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) – actions that could be classified as the war crime of pillage. Swiss authorities have been investigating him since 2018, and a report earlier this year by U.S. law firm Amsterdam and Partners alleged Huber played a key role in illegal mineral smuggling networks in Central Africa.

Despite these serious allegations, Open Secrets found that Huber was granted South African citizenship. “For us, the most important thing is determining whether or not home affairs was aware of these public allegations at the time of which he was granted citizenship. That brings us to a crucial issue: where there is a big disparity between the citizenship act and the refugee act,” she said.

Borman explained that while the Refugee Act clearly states that individuals suspected of committing crimes under international law cannot be granted asylum, the Citizenship Act does not have similar provisions. “We want to know at what point was the citizenship granted and we also want to point out the difference,” she added.

South Africa is legally obligated to investigate and prosecute international war crimes, but Open Secrets is questioning whether this responsibility was ignored when Huber was allowed to become a citizen.

It was discovered that he owns four multimillion-dollar properties in the country. “There are searches that allow one to verify whether an individual has South African citizenship. We were able to determine he has a South African ID card and from the number, you can deduce whether they are a permanent resident or granted citizenship. We are also able to determine he owns a number of properties in SA, it doesn’t necessarily mean he lives here full-time but it does mean he has significant interest in this country,” said Borman.

The organisation raises concerns about double standards, pointing out that a wealthy European businessman seems to have faced little scrutiny while many vulnerable African asylum seekers encounter significant barriers.

Open Secrets is calling on Minister Schreiber to explain how and why Huber was granted citizenship, emphasising that South Africa’s laws must apply to everyone equally – no matter their wealth or nationality. “We have asked for a response by January 10, 2025. We are not accusing the home affairs of knowingly not factoring in these allegations however we do want to be able to know this information so we can look closer into why he was granted citizenship,” said Borman.

LISTEN to the full interview with Ml Sulaimaan Ravat and Attorney Jane Borman from Open Secrets, here.