Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber has welcomed the arrest of two former Department of Home Affairs officials and four members of the public in connection with an alleged fraud and corruption scheme involving the irregular registration of births at the Malamulele Home Affairs office in Limpopo.
The arrests, announced on Tuesday, are the latest in the department’s ongoing campaign against corruption within the country’s identity and immigration system.
According to the department, the suspects were arrested over the weekend by the Hawks’ Anti-Corruption Unit in Thohoyandou following an investigation by the Department of Home Affairs’ Counter Corruption Unit.
The six accused appeared in the Malamulele Magistrate’s Court on Monday on charges of fraud and corruption. They remain in custody and are expected to make a formal bail application on 4 August.
The latest arrests bring the total number of Home Affairs officials arrested since the start of the seventh administration to 36. During the same period, nine officials have been successfully convicted, 65 dismissed and 195 criminal cases opened with the South African Police Service.
Schreiber said government would continue to pursue anyone involved in corrupt activities within the department.
“We are systematically rooting out corruption wherever it exists in Home Affairs. Together with our law enforcement partners, we will relentlessly pursue anyone who seeks to undermine the integrity of our systems and ensure they face the full consequences of the law.”
He said every arrest strengthened the integrity of South Africa’s identity system and advanced government’s mission to build “a modern, ethical and professional Home Affairs.”
The minister also thanked the Hawks and the department’s Counter Corruption Unit for their continued cooperation in investigating corruption.
The arrests come as authorities intensify efforts to dismantle corruption networks that have for years been accused of exploiting weaknesses in South Africa’s immigration and identity systems.
Earlier this year, the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) released interim findings from a wide-ranging investigation into the Department of Home Affairs, concluding that South Africa’s immigration system had effectively become “a marketplace” where visas and permits were allegedly sold to the highest bidder.
The SIU said corrupt officials, working with external facilitators and organised syndicates, allegedly processed fraudulent residence permits, visas and other immigration documents in exchange for bribes. The investigation found evidence that applications were expedited through WhatsApp communications, while payments were channelled through spouses’ bank accounts, eWallet transfers and intermediaries to disguise the alleged bribery.
Investigators revealed that four officials earning less than R25 000 a month allegedly received more than R16.3 million in unexplained deposits. The SIU also traced financial gains exceeding R181 million linked to beneficiaries of fraudulent visa applications supported by fake documentation.
The investigation further alleged that several high-profile foreign nationals, including religious leaders and entertainment personalities, benefited from fraudulent immigration processes. Among those named were self-proclaimed prophet Shepherd Bushiri, pastor Timothy Omotoso and Nigerian musician Prince Daniel Obioma, popularly known as 3GAR. The SIU stressed that these findings formed part of its ongoing investigation and recommended further criminal and administrative action where appropriate.
The SIU also uncovered evidence of alleged identity fraud involving foreign nationals who obtained South African passports through collusion with corrupt officials. According to investigators, some suspects allegedly used the fingerprints of unsuspecting South African citizens while substituting passport photographs with those of foreign nationals. The unit further uncovered evidence of alleged DNA sample manipulation intended to help foreign applicants qualify for permanent residence permits.
Officials have repeatedly warned that corruption inside Home Affairs has contributed to illegal migration by allowing people who do not qualify for South African documents or immigration status to obtain them fraudulently. Authorities say the practice undermines national security, weakens border management and compromises the integrity of the country’s identity system.
The SIU has recommended stricter vetting of Home Affairs employees, stronger verification processes, improved system integration across government departments and tighter oversight of visa applications to close loopholes exploited by corrupt officials and criminal syndicates.
