Two Home Affairs officials have been arrested in separate operations as the department’s anti-corruption drive continues to gather pace, bringing the total number of dismissals to 63 since the campaign began in July 2024.
The Department of Home Affairs announced on Friday that the arrests formed part of a broader internal crackdown on corruption and maladministration.
In the first case, an official was arrested at the Pinetown office on Wednesday following an investigation into a fraudulent death registration on the population register. The official allegedly attempted to offer a R3 000 bribe to evade arrest during a sting operation conducted by the department’s Counter Corruption and Security Services branch in collaboration with KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Crime Intelligence.
In a separate operation in Secunda, Mpumalanga, Counter Corruption and Security Services worked jointly with the Hawks to arrest one Home Affairs official and two members of the public. The arrests relate to the alleged irregular issuance of Smart ID cards to foreign nationals who do not qualify for them.
All three suspects in the Secunda case have been charged with fraud, corruption and defeating the ends of justice.
Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber said the pace of disciplinary action within the department continues to accelerate.
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“The pace of disciplinary steps, dismissals and arrests within Home Affairs continues to quicken. The department’s investments in driving accountability mean that a week now rarely goes by without disciplinary action, arrests, or convictions,” he said.
Schreiber said the work of the Counter Corruption and Security Services team, working with other law enforcement agencies, was sending a clear message that the department has zero tolerance for corruption.
“The scale of the clampdown makes it clear that we will not rest until every last one of the officials involved in maladministration or corruption in this department is dealt with decisively,” he said.
ALSO READ: 63 Home Affairs officials dismissed in corruption crackdown
