Benoni Home Affairs official dismissed

A Benoni Home Affairs official has been dismissed after he was found guilty of gross misconduct for processing 111 documents for undeserving foreign nationals.

Spokesperson for the Minister of Home Affairs, Siya Qoza, said the accused used particulars of South African citizens for a fee of R1 000 per application.

“Ninety-eight of these documents were passports and 13 were IDs. He pleaded guilty and was subsequently dismissed, however, he is appealing his dismissal.”

Another official from the Germiston office was found guilty of gross misconduct in that he processed 13 passport applications for undeserving foreign nationals using particulars of South Africans.

“He was paid between R2 500 and R5 000 per application. The accused pleaded guilty and did not appeal the sanction and was subsequently dismissed. The police are pursuing criminal charges against both Home Affairs employees.

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“In addition, the police are tracking the South Africans who sold their identities and the foreign nationals who wanted to buy South African documents they do not deserve,” said Qoza.

The department said all the fraudulently processed IDs and passports were flagged as fraudulent and were removed from Home Affairs records, rendering them useless and unusable by the people who acquired them. None of these documents was ever used.

Home Affairs Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, said: “We shall fearlessly and ruthlessly root out corruption wherever it rears its ugly head. I do not doubt that with support from members of the public who are patriotic enough to report these corrupt practices, we dare not fail but win this battle.”

Motsoaledi added that his Department is on the trail of more Home Affairs officials who are involved in these shameful acts and will continue to arrest them.

In the same vein. he commended those extraordinary majority of Home Affairs officials who still serve with honesty and integrity despite the lucrative temptations which a few others, who are now being arrested, have fallen into.

Motsoaledi urged South Africans to stop selling their identities to foreign nationals.

“If you sell your identity, you are replaced by a foreign national on our database which means that you will not be able to access services in the country,” concluded Motsoaledi.

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