Arrests in South African Home Affairs corruption cases rise to 44 — TimesLIVE

In South Africa, following the arrest of three people in a passport fraud case, the total number of arrests in corruption cases at the Department of Home Affairs since July 2024 has reached 44. Over the same period, the department dismissed 98 officials, TimesLIVE reports.

Passport case

Among the three detainees are two former department employees and one other person. They were arrested in connection with a passport fraud case at the department's office in the town of Bothaville, Free State province, in 2023.

The arrests followed an investigation by the department's anti-corruption unit and the Hawks into the fraudulent processing of ten passport applications. The suspects appeared before the Bothaville Magistrate's Court on Monday, and the case was postponed until January 20, 2027.

More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.

Biometric verification

According to the department, the scheme involved exploiting vulnerabilities in outdated systems to obtain South African passports by replacing photographs. The department said it had introduced biometric verification to close some of the loopholes used for passport fraud.

Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber said those who exploited weaknesses in the department's systems would be held accountable. According to him, the department's digital transformation programme is intended not only to respond to fraud but also to eliminate opportunities for it.