Home Affairs, SIU launch anti-corruption forum

The launch of the forum aims to combat corruption at the country’s borders.

Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber told a media briefing in Pretoria that 27 officials were convicted of corruption and other crimes in his department between July 2024 and February 2025.

Eighteen of the officials were dismissed in November, and nine others were dismissed more recently.

Schreiber said the number of dismissed officials will likely increase once ongoing appeals have been concluded.

"Eight officials have already been convicted and sentenced to prison terms ranging from four to 18 years, while criminal prosecution of another 19 officials is underway.

"A Pakistani National, Afran Ahmed, who charged foreign nationals R45,000 per South African passport, was sentenced to 18 years imprisonment in the Krugersdorp magistrate Court, Gauteng.

"At the BMA over the same period, 10 officials have been dismissed for corruption and one for aiding and abetting. Another 45 BMA cases are at various stages in the disciplinary process and could also result in further dismissals."

Schreiber added that the department remains determined to introduce an automated entry and exit system at all of the country's ports of entry.

The Medium-Term Development Plan aims to achieve this at all airports and land and sea ports by the end of the current administration.

"No more papers that can go missing or be manipulated, no more photo-swopping on green ID books, no more bribing an immigration officer to manipulate an outcome, or to gain entry to our country illegally because you cannot bribe a computer and an electronic gate."

He further stated that work is underway to address abuses that aided state capture.

This follows the cancellation of the irregularly granted South African citizenship of a senior Gupta family member under the Promotion of Administrative Justice Act.

"The sum total of this work represents the biggest and most decisive crackdown on corruption to date in the immigration sector; by working together every day, we are painstakingly washing the stain of corruption and state capture off of Home Affairs so that we can transform the Department and the BMA into the proud institutions they deserve to be.”

-Green ID Document booklet-

Schreiber said secure digital documents are replacing paper documents.

This is due to the digital ID system that the president announced during the January State of the Nation Address.

Schreiber said the change to digital documents would curb the spread of corruption.

He added that the green ID book will also be replaced with a more secure smart ID and digital ID.

"We will do this by expanding access to everyone who qualifies for a South African ID to be able to obtain the Smart ID. We have to get to more bank branches; we have to get on to the digital devices so that South Africans anywhere are able to obtain the Smart ID, then we can move away from the green ID book."

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