Between July and September 2024, the Department of Home Affairs has finalized 31 disciplinary cases against errant officials that have resulted in a range of sanctions, including criminal prosecution, dismissal, suspension without pay and final written warnings. These actions reflect the Department’s intensified commitment to enforcing ethical governance and accelerating disciplinary and criminal sanctions against officials engaged in maladministration.

The officials faced transgressions relating to irregular recruitment, violation of the Citizenship Act and the violation of the Immigration Act. Eight of the cases came from the Free State, followed by six cases from KwaZulu-Natal.

Minister Schreiber said: “While we are committed to empowering the many officials who uphold ethical governance and dignified service delivery within Home Affairs, we have zero tolerance for unethical conduct or corruption. As our accelerated action against errant conduct demonstrates, officials who fail to heed this message will soon find themselves out of Home Affairs and on their way to prison.”

One such official who failed to abide by the required standards of ethical conduct is Mr Mogale Raseone, whose trial is set to start on 6 November. He is facing fraud charges.Raseone was dismissed from the Department last year after the conclusion of disciplinary processes. He was implicated by the Counter-Corruption Branch in multiple fraudulent transactions that benefitted mostly Pakistani nationals. He allegedly conducted this fraud by manipulating the systems Home Affairs uses to administer immigration.

Another official who is waiting to have her day in court is Dora Ncube, a suspended Border Management Authority (BMA) official who was recently arrested in Beitbridge while trying to smuggle six foreign nationals into the country. Her bail hearing started yesterday in Musina and is scheduled to be finalised today.

Minister Schreiber said: “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. Digital transformation holds the key to uprooting corruption in our systems, while enhancing the efficiency of service delivery.”

These prosecutions follow the recent conviction of two dismissed officials, Judy Zuma and Tony Stout, for similar crimes. Further arrests are expected as Home Affairs, the Special Investigating Unit (SIU), assisted by the Directorate of Priority Crimes Investigations (the Hawks), progresses with the implementation of Proclamation 154 of 2024. 

The proclamation empowers the SIU to investigate serious maladministration and improper conduct in the Department relating to the issuance of various permits.

Minister Schreiber concluded: “Our determination to root out corruption is absolute, as winning this fight is essential to our vision of turning Home Affairs into a respected and ethical institution that delivers dignity to all our clients.”

 

For media enquiries, please contact:

Siya Qoza - Cell number: 082 898 1657 

Duwayne Esau - Spokesperson for the Minister - Cell number: 077 606 9702


ISSUED BY THE MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS