South Africa for sale for R500
The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has uncovered grand corruption within the Department of Home Affairs, where criminal syndicates formed among officials, selling visas and permits from as little as R500.
The SIU has published the interim findings of an investigation into permit corruption at the DHA, authorised by President Cyril Ramaphosa under Proclamation 154 of 2024.
An interim report outlining the investigation’s outcomes has been submitted to the President.
Through its investigations, the SIU found that South Africa’s immigration system has been treated as a marketplace for years, where permits and visas were sold to the highest bidder.
“Officials entrusted with safeguarding the integrity of the Department of Home Affairs instead turned their positions into profit-making schemes, while external actors exploited influence, fabricated documentation, and manipulated systemic weaknesses to secure fraudulent residence permits,” it said.
The investigation revealed that the country’s borders were effectively “auctioned off” through corruption, with South Africa being sold one permit at a time.
The investigation was prompted by whistleblowers who tipped the SIU off that foreign nationals were entering South Africa to fraudulently obtain asylum seeker permits, and later use them to apply for permanent residence and ultimately citizenship.
“The SIU received information that these foreign nationals collude with syndicates involving corrupt Home Affairs officials to secure permits without merit, as permits are issued upon application without assessing the asylum claim,” it said.
Asylum seeker permit holders can remain in the country even if their application is rejected by exhausting appeal rights up to the Constitutional Court, regardless of the merits of their application.
To investigate, the SIU obtained a Special Tribunal order and, with the assistance of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks), searched five Refugee Reception Offices, seizing laptops, desktops, cell phones, external drives, and files.
Cell phone analysis revealed communication between officials and foreign nationals, with payments via E-Wallet ranging from R500 to R3,000, facilitating the unlawful issuing of permits and visas to unqualified individuals.
Payments were made through various methods:
- Cash hidden in application forms, with office doors closed to avoid cameras;
- E-Wallet deposits using non-RICA-registered or fraudulently RICA-registered numbers;
- Asylum seekers sending E-Wallet payments to themselves and providing OTPs to officials;
- In-kind payments, such as covering officials’ private rent or services.
Officials used dummy phones to conceal transactions and communication, the SIU said, and were reaping millions of rands in gains.
R16 million paid to four officials
The SIU noted that the “nefarious syndicate” was run by department officials who were responsible for the lawful processing, adjudication, and receipt of visa applications.
These officials engaged in behaviour suggesting systemic corruption and illicit enrichment, in violation of their official duties, it said.
“The SIU can reveal that, so far, we have uncovered that four officials who earn less than R25,000 per month have received a total of R16.3 million in direct deposits,” it said.
“Evidence indicates that certain members of this group have acquired significant assets that are grossly disproportionate to their legal income.”
This includes the cash purchase of multiple properties and the construction of high-value residential developments.
Some members have developed private properties with extensive infrastructure, such as large-scale solar installations and spacious parking lots, suggesting access to capital inconsistent with their official salaries.
The SIU’s investigation shows that certain officials turned the permit system into a marketplace.
Their modus operandi was simple: applications were sent via WhatsApp for expedited approval, and once approved, money flowed almost immediately.
Payments were not made directly to officials but funnelled through accounts held by their spouses, deliberately disguising the bribes.
In one case, a permit was approved on 20 December, and by 21 December, R3,000 had been deposited into the spouse’s account.
Another transaction saw R6,000 transferred days after two permits were approved. These transactions reveal a direct link between approvals and payments, leaving no doubt that permits were being sold.
Officials also operated within syndicates, using intermediaries to collect funds from foreign nationals.
Transaction references such as “Permit,” “Visa Process,” or “Building Material” were used to mask the true nature of payments.
Secondary accounts belonging to spouses received unexplained cash deposits amounting to hundreds of thousands of rand.
“The scale of enrichment was staggering. Analysis of a construction company registered in the name of one official’s husband revealed deposits totalling R8.9 million between 2020 and 2023,” the SIU said.
“Officials turned their spouses into silent partners in crime. Another official accumulated so much wealth that she built a mansion and a paved road leading to her home on a monthly salary of R25,000.”
The SIU has also traced financial gains exceeding R181 million associated with beneficiaries of fraudulent Visa applications, which were underpinned by fake documentation.
Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber welcomed the findings, stressing that they reflect the widespread visa maladministration at the department over the 20-year period from 2004 to 2024.
He noted that, over the past 20 months, the post-May-2024 administration under the Government of National Unity has made major strides in holding corruption to account and driving digital transformation to close the systemic loopholes identified.
Schreiber added that there have been 275 criminal referrals related to visa corruption, where 111 investigations have closed, over 2,000 fraudulent visas are under review for revocation, and 41 officials have been dismissed.
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