Home Affairs Secures Fraud Conviction as Minister Pushes Digital Reform

The scheme was uncovered through a collaboration between the department’s Counter Corruption Unit, the Hawks, and other law enforcement partners.

Home Affairs Minister Dr Leon Schreiber has welcomed the conviction of a former departmental employee, Dawn Pieterson, who was found guilty of nine counts of fraud and two counts of contravening the Births and Deaths Registration Act.

Pieterson, who worked at the Home Affairs office in Calvinia, Northern Cape, abused her position and access to departmental records to commit fraudulent activities between February 2019 and September 2022.

Fraudulent Scheme Exposed

Investigations revealed that Pieterson used her official access to illegally register living citizens as deceased. She then opened funeral insurance policies under their names, listing herself as the beneficiary. Once the fraudulent declarations were processed, she attempted to cash out the payouts from the policies.

The scheme was uncovered through a collaboration between the department’s Counter Corruption Unit, the Hawks, and other law enforcement partners.

Sentencing and Broader Crackdown

Pieterson is set to be sentenced on 26 January 2026, with the Department of Home Affairs confirming that it will closely monitor the outcome.

Minister Schreiber hailed the conviction as part of an ongoing national crackdown on corruption within Home Affairs.

“This latest successful conviction is another step forward in our ongoing work to clean up Home Affairs. It is the ninth conviction secured through the collaboration between the department and law enforcement agencies. It also follows the dismissal of 37 officials since July 2024,” he said.

Digital Transformation to Close Loopholes

Schreiber stressed that Pieterson’s fraudulent methods underscored the urgent need for Home Affairs’ digital transformation agenda.

“By fully automating and digitalising all departmental processes, as we are doing through the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) for visas and the rollout of Digital ID for civic services, we will eliminate the space for human discretion and interference exploited by criminals like Pieterson,” he said.

He emphasised that technology is key to ending systemic corruption:

“We are absolutely determined to both put criminal officials behind bars, while simultaneously using technology to close the loopholes they exploit. This is how we can defeat the scourge of corruption once and for all.”

Strengthening Institutional Integrity

The conviction adds to Home Affairs’ record of progress in combating internal corruption. Since mid-2024, the department has dismissed 37 officials for misconduct and fraud. At least nine criminal convictions have been secured through joint investigations with law enforcement agencies.

The Ministry has also promised to fast-track internal vetting procedures, staff integrity checks, and fraud prevention systems to ensure that public confidence in the department is restored.

Looking Ahead

As Pieterson awaits sentencing, the department has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening accountability and modernising core services. The ongoing digitalisation of records, automation of identity management, and rollout of new e-systems are expected to reduce opportunities for fraud while improving service delivery.

For Schreiber, the conviction represents more than an individual case: it is part of a broader institutional shift aimed at transforming Home Affairs into a department that is secure, transparent, and corruption-resistant.