By Akani Nkuna
The Department of Home Affairs has completed disciplinary action against 31 officials with sanctions including criminal charges, dismissals, suspensions and formal warnings.
Home Affairs spokesperson Duwayne Esau said on Monday that “these actions reflect the department’s intensified commitment to enforcing ethical governance and accelerating disciplinary and criminal sanctions against officials engaged in maladministration”.
They are accused of irregular recruitment practices, violating the Citizenship Act and breaching the Immigration Act.
Eight of the cases are in the Free State, six from KwaZulu-Natal and the 17 from the rest of the provinces.
Mogale Raseone was released from his duties after he was allegedly involved in multiple fraudulent transactions that mostly benefited Pakistani nationals. His trial starts on 6 November.
Another official, Dora Ncube, is also facing serious charges after being caught allegrdly trying to smuggle six foreign nationals into the country at Beitbridge border post.
She was arrested and is due in court in Musina for a bail hearing this week.
“While we are committed to empowering the many officials who uphold ethical governance and dignified service delivery within Home Affairs, we have zero tolerance for unethical conduct or corruption,” Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber said in a statement.
He also emphasised that these incidents underscored the need for digital transformation, enabling the department to minimise the risk of corruption by transitioning away from manual and paper-based systems.
“Digital transformation holds the key to uprooting corruption in our systems, while enhancing efficiency of service delivery,” he said.
The arrests mark a collaborative effort between the Special Investigating Unit, the Hawks and Home Affairs under the guidance of Proclamation 154 of 2024.
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