Corrupt officials turned Home Affairs into a marketplace

An investigation by South Africa’s Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has exposed a highly coordinated corruption syndicate in the Department of Home Affairs (DHA).

The SIU’s interim report of February 2026 detailed a 20-year-old network of bribery, identity forgery, and maladministration.

Regulatory gaps enabled foreign nationals, organised crime syndicates, and high-profile figures to obtain visas, asylum permits, permanent residence permits (PRPs), and citizenship illegally.

According to the investigation, corrupt adjudicators systematically sold immigration documents using advanced methods to evade detection. 

Officials used dummy phones and communicated with buyers via WhatsApp to expedite approvals. 

Bribes, which ranged from R500 to R3,000, were transferred via e-wallets using unregistered numbers, hidden as cash in application forms or paid in kind.

The financial enrichment of officials was staggering. The SIU revealed that four officials, who earned less than R25,000 per month, received over R16.3 million in direct deposits. 

To launder the illicit funds, officials funnelled money into their spouses’ bank accounts, disguising the transactions with references such as “Building Material” or “Visa Process”.  

In total, the SIU traced over R181 million associated with the beneficiaries of these fraudulent visas.

The SIU also found evidence of “fingerprint swapping”. Foreign nationals illegally accessed DHA offices to fraudulently attach their photos to the fingerprints of unaware South Africans.

Syndicates also manipulated DNA results at the National Health Laboratories Services to falsely meet biological testing requirements. 

The retirement visa category, which lacked age restrictions and post-issuance financial monitoring, was heavily abused. 

In response to the findings, Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber has initiated sweeping systemic reforms to root out corruption and hold officials accountable. 

Since April 2025, 20 officials have been dismissed, and 75 disciplinary cases have resulted in suspensions and warnings over the past two fiscal years. 

The department is currently cancelling over 2,000 study visas issued fraudulently, while implicated individuals face deportation or criminal prosecution.

To permanently eliminate the vulnerabilities of manual, paper-based processing, the DHA is rolling out a sophisticated Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system. 

This cutting-edge system relies on machine learning and rules-based decision-making, which cannot be manipulated by officials. 

The ETA facilitates online applications, simultaneously verifying document authenticity and using biometrics to match the applicant’s face to their passport photo.

The ETA system has already declined over 30,000 non-compliant tourist visa applications and is set to anchor a new Digital ID system. 

This comprehensive Digital ID system is designed to eradicate identity theft and protect South African citizenship. 

In conjunction with these technological upgrades, the SIU has recommended parallel physical and systemic improvements to prevent future exploitation. 

These include stricter physical access controls at DHA offices, mandatory employee vetting, and the comprehensive integration of systems across all relevant government departments.

This article was written by Zané Steyn.