SIU Urges Vetting of Home Affairs Staff After Visa Corruption Probe

Briefing the media, Acting SIU Head Leonard Lekgetho said the investigation uncovered organised corruption involving Home Affairs officials and external actors.

The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has recommended that the Department of Home Affairs consider vetting all employees as part of urgent measures to address deep-rooted vulnerabilities in South Africa’s immigration system.

The recommendation follows an investigation authorised by President Cyril Ramaphosa under Proclamation 154 of 2024. An interim report has been submitted to the President, revealing what the SIU described as a system treated like a “marketplace” where permits and visas were sold to the highest bidder.

Permits Sold Through Syndicates

Briefing the media, Acting SIU Head Leonard Lekgetho said the investigation uncovered organised corruption involving Home Affairs officials and external actors.

“Officials entrusted with safeguarding the integrity of the Department turned their positions into profit-making schemes,” Lekgetho said.

The probe was triggered by a whistleblower who alleged that foreign nationals were fraudulently obtaining asylum seeker permits, later using them to apply for permanent residence and citizenship.

According to the SIU:

• Applications were approved without proper assessment of asylum claims.

• Foreign nationals colluded with syndicates involving corrupt officials.

• Appeal processes were exhausted to remain in the country regardless of merit.

With assistance from the Hawks, the SIU raided five Refugee Reception Offices, seizing laptops, phones and files. A total of 237 items were imaged for cyber forensic analysis.

Payments via e-Wallet and Spousal Accounts

Cellphone analysis revealed direct communication between officials and applicants, with bribes ranging from R500 to R3,000 per permit.

Payments were allegedly made through:

• e-Wallet deposits using non- or fraudulently RICA-registered numbers

• Cash concealed in application forms

• In-kind payments such as covering officials’ private rent

• Deposits into spouses’ accounts to disguise bribery

In one case, a permit was approved on 20 December and R3,000 was deposited into a spouse’s account the next day. Another R6,000 payment followed shortly after two permits were processed.

“Their modus operandi was simple: applications were sent via WhatsApp for expedited approval, and once approved, money flowed almost immediately,” Lekgetho said.

R16.3 Million to Officials Earning Under R25,000

The SIU revealed that four officials earning less than R25,000 per month received R16.3 million in direct deposits.

Investigators found evidence of:

• Cash purchases of multiple properties

• Construction of high-value residential developments

• Extensive infrastructure such as large solar installations

In one instance, a construction company registered in an official’s husband’s name received R8.9 million between 2020 and 2023, with at least R185,000 explicitly linked to Permanent Residence Permit (PRP) applications.

Overall, the SIU traced financial gains exceeding R181 million connected to beneficiaries of fraudulent visa approvals supported by fake documentation.

Identity Fraud and DNA Manipulation

In collaboration with Interpol, the SIU uncovered identity fraud schemes where foreign nationals obtained South African passports to commit crimes abroad or seek asylum elsewhere.

The modus operandi included:

• Fraudulent access to Home Affairs offices

• Use of unsuspecting citizens’ fingerprints

• Substitution of passport photographs

The SIU also found prima facie evidence of DNA sample swapping and manipulation involving National Health Laboratories Service testing, aimed at securing Permanent Residence Permits for foreign nationals.

In addition, abuse of the retirement visa category was identified. The visa, which has no age restriction, requires proof of approximately R37,000 monthly income — but compliance was not monitored after issuance, creating opportunities for manipulation.

SIU Recommendations

To restore integrity to the immigration system, the SIU recommended that Home Affairs:

• Consider vetting all employees

• Strengthen contract management and ethical culture

• Provide ethics training

• Improve system integration across departments

• Develop step-by-step verification guidelines

• Strengthen pre-issuance verification and quality assurance

• Enforce compliance reporting by companies issuing business visas

• Integrate systems with the Department of Labour

Lekgetho said the findings demonstrate that corruption in the visa system was “organised, deliberate and devastating to public trust.”

“Permits and visas were sold, traded and laundered. Integrity was betrayed,” he concluded.

The Department of Home Affairs is expected to consider the SIU’s recommendations as part of broader reforms to secure South Africa’s immigration framework.