Two former Home Affairs officials were arrested in Germiston. They are accused of helping foreign nationals get South African passports through fraud.
The Department of Home Affairs said the two were linked to a syndicate that issued passports to foreign nationals. According to the department, each passport was sold for up to R100 000.
The officials allegedly used a gap in an old manual process. The scheme was known as “photo swapping”. It used the identity details of real South African citizens to get passports carrying photos of foreign nationals.
The arrests followed a joint investigation by the department’s Counter Corruption Unit and the Hawks. The investigators first uncovered the syndicate in 2022.
Mosa Chabane, who chairs the Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs, said the two were charged with corruption and fraud. He said they also face a charge under Section 49(5) of the Immigration Act.
“The arrest and prosecution of rogue Home Affairs officials is critical to safeguarding the country’s population register,” Chabane said.
He said civil servants could not keep selling South African identity documents, because of the security risks this creates for the country. He said all corrupt officials must be investigated and prosecuted.
Chabane said criminal cases should run at the same time as internal disciplinary steps. He said officials found to be involved should be removed from the public service where needed.
He warned that keeping suspected officials in positions of trust could expose the department to more risk.
Chabane said the committee has long asked for more money for the Counter Corruption and Security Services branch in the department. He said extra funding would help the branch carry out more investigations.
He linked the arrests to the Lubisi Report. This was an independent probe ordered in 2021 by then Home Affairs Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi into fraud involving visas, permits and citizenship papers.
Chabane said the committee wants the report’s recommendations fully put in place. He said the same applies to findings from later Special Investigating Unit probes.
Home Affairs spokesperson Carli van Wyk said the case shows why the department is moving to digital systems. She said biometric checks now link applicants to their identities through the whole application, including when photos are taken.
Van Wyk said this closes the gap that let criminals swap in a foreign national’s photo for a South African citizen’s photo.
Home Affairs Minister Dr Leon Schreiber said old manual processes had for years left gaps that syndicates used to get passports through fraud.
“Through our digital transformation, we are closing these loopholes by introducing secure biometric verification and automated systems that remove opportunities for human manipulation,” Schreiber said.
He said the reforms aim to stop fraud and corruption before they happen, not only after the damage is done. Schreiber praised the Counter Corruption Unit and the Hawks for their work.
According to the department, 98 Home Affairs officials have been dismissed and 42 arrested since the start of the seventh administration.
Source: this article is based on reporting by IOL. Image: IOL. Written with the help of AI and published by the Tzaneen Voice News desk. See our Editorial Standards.
Kgomotso Maake covers news and politics for Tzaneen Voice. Kgomotso reports on government, Parliament, municipalities, courts, crime and service delivery across South Africa, with a close eye on how national decisions reach towns like Tzaneen and the wider Limpopo province. Stories are written in plain English and focus on the facts: who made the decision, what it means, and what happens next.