Twenty Home Affairs officials dismissed as SIU report exposes '20 years of visa maladministration'
Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber says 20 officials have already been dismissed since April last year following disciplinary processes linked to visa corruption at the department.
Image: SIU
The Department of Home Affairs has dismissed 20 officials since April last year as part of disciplinary processes linked to corruption and maladministration uncovered by the Special Investigating Unit.
Speaking at the release of the SIU’s interim report on Monday, Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber said the findings reflect “the state of Home Affairs inherited by the seventh administration.”
The investigation, authorised by President Cyril Ramaphosa under Proclamation 154 of 2024, covers the period between 12 October 2004 and 16 February 2024.
“In other words, what the SIU has presented to us today is the result of up to twenty years of maladministration and malfeasance,” Schreiber said.
He confirmed that disciplinary processes against all implicated individuals are ongoing.
“A total of 20 officials have already been dismissed since April last year,” he said.
Over the past two financial years, 75 disciplinary cases have been completed, resulting in 16 suspensions without pay and 22 written warnings.
Schreiber said he had requested the Director-General to write to the Department of Public Service and Administration and the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs to ensure that former officials facing criminal proceedings are not re-employed elsewhere in the State while proceedings are underway.
The Minister also revealed that more than 2,000 study visas were fraudulently issued through syndicates operating within Home Affairs.
“Administrative processes are now underway to cancel these visas,” he said, adding that subsequent visas obtained by the same individuals would be ringfenced to ensure irregularly obtained documents are cancelled and perpetrators deported or prosecuted where required.
Schreiber described one of the most extraordinary findings of the SIU investigation as the fact that “the bulk of the malfeasance was allegedly committed by a handful of officials.”
“By exploiting loopholes and the manual nature of visa processes, a mere handful of people had the ability to inflict all this damage on our country,” he said.
He urged the National Prosecuting Authority to prioritise criminal referrals arising from the investigation as part of efforts to restore the rule of law within the department.
Leonard Gaoretelelwe Lekgetho was appointed as the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) new Acting Head.
Image: Supplied
Broader SIU findings
The interim report forms part of a wider investigation that uncovered systemic corruption within Home Affairs.
The SIU also traced financial gains exceeding R181 million associated with beneficiaries of fraudulent visa applications supported by fake documentation.
Among the high-profile matters highlighted, the SIU said Shepherd Bushiri’s Permanent Residence Permit was approved by an adjudicator who was a member of his church, describing it as a clear conflict of interest. Investigators further raised concerns over USD 1.2 million paid in cash linked to proof of financial independence.
In a separate case, the SIU said Nigerian televangelist Timothy Omotoso was unlawfully granted a ministerial waiver after his visa renewal had been denied for non-compliance.
The SIU described the immigration system as having been treated as a commodity, with permits and visas “sold, traded, and laundered.”
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