Recent revelations have exposed widespread corruption within South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs (DHA), with foreign nationals reportedly paying exorbitant bribes—up to R1,000 for birth certificates and R45,000 for passports—to corrupt officials. The scale of the corruption has been laid bare by newly appointed Minister Leon Schreiber, who has disclosed a troubling number of cases from the past financial year.
Since the beginning of the current financial year, the DHA’s Counter Corruption and Security Services branch has investigated 109 corruption cases. Schreiber, who has made it a priority to address the department’s infamous inefficiencies, has unveiled disturbing statistics and details of fraudulent activities within the department.
Under Schreiber’s leadership, the DHA has faced intense scrutiny, with the minister pledging to eliminate the department’s notorious backlog and inefficiencies. However, his efforts have been overshadowed by revelations of corruption. According to Schreiber, corrupt officials, in collusion with organised crime syndicates, have been operating clandestinely to issue illegal documents. Notably, one official was found guilty of selling South African birth certificates to Zimbabwean nationals for R1,000.
The corruption extends to other vital documents. Allegations have surfaced that an immigration officer was involved in selling South African IDs for R50,000 and passports for R45,000. In a particularly egregious case, Arfan Ahmed, a Pakistani national, was arrested for bribing officials to issue illegal documents. Ahmed charged foreign nationals R45,000 for passports and managed a syndicate that operated across six provinces. He has been sentenced to 18 years in prison.
The revelations have sparked outrage among South Africans, who have taken to social media to condemn the officials involved. Many accuse the department of treason, alleging that it is effectively “selling the country.” Social media users are calling for stringent action against those implicated in the corruption scandal. @moflavadj demanded: “Arrest every single one of these treasonous fools,” while @Sihle_E_Nkosi criticized the situation, stating: “Selling SA one piece at a time, one ID number at a time.”
As the DHA grapples with the fallout from these revelations, the focus remains on addressing the systemic corruption and restoring public trust in the department.
For stories with more insights, check out our urban online radio mbonoradio.co.za
