Pretoria, South Africa – A damning interim report by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has laid bare a vast network of corruption within South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs (DHA), revealing a system so compromised it was effectively operating as a “marketplace” for fraudulent permits and visas. The revelations paint a grim picture of officials enriching themselves through illicit means, with some low-ranking employees receiving millions in unexplained deposits, while the nation’s immigration system was exploited by syndicates and even prominent religious figures.
The SIU’s acting head, Leonard Lekgetho, did not mince words when presenting the findings, stating unequivocally that South Africa was being “sold one permit at a time”
. The investigation, authorised by President Cyril Ramaphosa, uncovered financial gains exceeding a staggering R181 million linked to beneficiaries of fraudulent visa applications. These applications were often underpinned by fake documentation, highlighting a systemic breakdown in verification and monitoring processes within the department.
Perhaps the most shocking detail to emerge from the report is the illicit enrichment of certain Home Affairs officials. The SIU revealed that four officials, earning less than R25,000 a month, collectively received R16.3 million in direct deposits. This stark disparity between official salaries and actual income points to a deeply entrenched culture of bribery and illicit dealings. The methods used to facilitate these corrupt transactions were varied and often brazen, including cash payments hidden within application forms, e-wallet deposits, and even in-kind payments such as covering officials’ private rent or services. Lekgetho detailed how some officials used dummy phones to conceal their transactions and communications, demonstrating a sophisticated effort to evade detection
.
Further analysis by the SIU uncovered that a construction company registered in the name of one official’s husband received deposits totalling R8.9 million between 2020 and 2023. Of this, at least R185,000 was directly linked to Permanent Residence Permit (PRP) applications, further solidifying the evidence of a widespread bribery scheme. The report indicates that officials often operated within syndicates, utilising intermediaries to collect funds from foreign nationals. Payments were frequently masked under the guise of “payment and visa processes” or even “building materials” to obscure their true nature.
Beyond the individual officials, the SIU’s investigation also shone a spotlight on a coordinated network of religious figures who exploited the immigration system. Pastors and prophets were found to be using fraudulent documentation, fake retirement confirmations, falsified financial means, and even marriages of convenience to secure fraudulent immigration statuses for foreign nationals. Prominent names implicated include Shepherd Bushiri, Kudakwashe Mpofu, and other Nigerian nationals. Lekgetho revealed that $1.2 million in cash was paid from Bushiri’s non-profit company at Lanseria Airport, suggesting a significant scale of illicit financial activity .
Pastor Timothy Omotoso’s modus operandi was described as fundamentally built on fraud and misrepresentation to enter and reside in South Africa. His initial entry was secured through a fraudulently obtained work permit, issued in a country where he was not a citizen, based on an unauthorised directive. The investigation found that the waiver for Omotoso was unlawfully granted by an official without the necessary delegated authority, highlighting how administrative gaps were leveraged to override lawful rejections and perpetuate his stay in the country. Similarly, Mpofu’s methods involved exploiting deficiencies in the DHA system, using agents to shift responsibility, abusing litigation to delay accountability, and taking advantage of weak interdepartmental verification processes.
In response to these alarming findings, the SIU has put forward several key recommendations to the Department of Home Affairs. These include the urgent vetting of all DHA employees and the strengthening of vetting processes for visa applications.
The SIU also called for enhanced system integration across all DHA processes, including those linked to other government departments. Furthermore, the unit recommended the development of step-by-step guidelines for verification procedures and the implementation of quality assurance measures before the issuance of any visas. Strengthening contract management and enforcing an ethical culture through dedicated training for employees were also highlighted as crucial steps to combat the pervasive corruption.
The scale of the corruption uncovered by the SIU is a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities within critical government departments. The ongoing efforts to dismantle these syndicates and hold corrupt officials accountable will be a critical test for the government’s commitment to good governance and the rule of law.
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