Home affairs officials arrested amid zero-tolerance campaign

The home affairs department took action against 33 officials between July and September as part of its plan to stamp out corruption and maladministration in its ranks.

Thirty-one officials have been disciplined and two others prosecuted, with more arrests on the way, the department said on Tuesday. 

A range of sanctions have been imposed, including criminal prosecution, dismissal, suspension without pay and final written warnings. The officials faced transgressions relating to irregular recruitment, violation of the Citizenship Act and violation of the Immigration Act. Eight of the cases came from the Free State, followed by six cases from KwaZulu-Natal. 

Further arrests are expected as the department and the Special Investigating Unit (SIU), assisted by the Hawks, progress with the implementation of a proclamation that empowers the SIU to investigate serious maladministration and improper conduct in the department relating to the issuance of various permits. 

“Our determination to root out corruption is absolute, as winning this fight is essential to our vision of turning home affairs into a respected and ethical institution that delivers dignity to all our clients,” home affairs minister Leon Schreiber said. 

“While we are committed to empowering the many officials who uphold ethical governance and dignified service delivery within home affairs, we have zero tolerance for unethical conduct or corruption. As our accelerated action against errant conduct demonstrates, officials who fail to heed this message will soon find themselves out of home affairs and on their way to prison.” 

One official prosecuted, Mogale Raseone, faces fraud charges that benefited mostly Pakistani nationals by manipulating the department’s immigration systems. He was dismissed in 2023 after a disciplinary process and his trial is set to start on November 6. 

An official of the Border Management Authority, Dora Ncube, was recently arrested in Beitbridge while trying to smuggle six foreign nationals into the country. She faces prosecution.

These prosecutions follow the recent conviction of two dismissed officials, Judy Zuma and Tony Stout, for similar crimes. 

“These cases make us even more determined to pursue digital transformation to close opportunities for manual and paper-based processes to be exploited towards corrupt ends. Digital transformation holds the key to uprooting corruption in our systems, while enhancing the efficiency of service delivery,” Schreiber said. 

ensorl@businesslive.co.za