Fraud Uncovered: 31 Home Affairs Officials Busted in Major Immigration Scandal

Home Affairs has dropped the hammer on corrupt officials, with dismissals, unpaid suspensions, and final warnings being handed down to those caught in the immigration fraud web.

“These actions reflect the department’s intensified commitment to enforcing ethical governance and accelerating disciplinary and criminal sanctions against officials involved in maladministration,” said Home Affairs Minister, Leon Schreiber.

We are unwavering in our mission to wipe out corruption, as it’s the key to transforming Home Affairs into a trusted, ethical powerhouse that upholds dignity and delivers exceptional service to every citizen.

Home Affairs has already swung the axe, dismissing two key officials—Judy Zuma and Tony Stout—setting a bold example in its fight against fraud.

BMA officer Dora Ncube found herself in the hot seat, facing court charges for allegedly orchestrating the illegal entry of six foreign nationals into South Africa. Arrested at Beitbridge, her high-stakes bail hearing began in Musina on Monday.

Another official has been taken into custody, facing serious fraud charges as the crackdown on corruption within the department continues to intensify.

“He is implicated by the Counter-Corruption Branch in multiple fraudulent transactions that benefited mostly Pakistani nationals,” the department said.

By allegedly tampering with Home Affairs’ immigration systems, he’s at the center of a major fraud case, with proceedings set to kick off on November 6—potentially exposing even more corruption.

Schreiber warned that any officials ignoring the call for ethical governance will soon be trading their desks for a prison cell, as the crackdown leaves no room for corruption.

“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,” he said.

Embracing digital transformation is crucial to dismantling corruption in our systems and supercharging service delivery. With this momentum, more arrests are just around the corner.