Things are looking rosier for former SANDF acquisitions chief Chippy Shaik.

Two weeks after justice minister Brigitte Mabandla told Parliament he had never been the subject of a criminal investigation and that he was not in the NPA's sights, the furore over his two passports has been resolved.

A department inquiry found that Shaik was in possession of two valid passports and he was instructed in writing to return one of them, according to home affairs spokesman Jacky Mashapu.

"In response, the person concerned indicated that the passport was lost and he reported the matter to the police.

"After the department had received an affidavit confirming the loss, the department cancelled the passport in question on the electronic passport register," he said.

Shaik now only had one valid passport, Mashapu said.

In May, Shaik told the Cape Argus he was packing for Perth, saying "the situation in this country is toxic for me and my family".

"There has been an ongoing campaign against me, obviously as a result of (brother) Schabir's troubles."

Shaik was speaking in the context of renewed bribery allegations against him in the media, and reports that he had cheated on his mechanical engineering doctoral dissertation, as well questions about his two passports.

Of the latter, Shaik, who is still living in South Africa, complained that it created the impression "I was some kind of scumbag gun runner".

With acknowledgement to Angela Quintal and Cape Argus.