The Department of Home Affairs is cleaning out the clutter by removing officials who are allegedly involved in illegal activities within the department. The department said between July and September 2024 they finalised 31 disciplinary cases against errant officials.

DISCIPLINARY ACTION

Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber said the disciplinary cases have resulted in a range of sanctions, including criminal prosecution, dismissal, suspension without pay and final written warnings. "These actions reflect the department's intensified commitment to enforcing ethical governance and accelerating disciplinary and criminal sanctions against officials engaged in maladministration," said Schreiber.

He said the officials were accused of irregular recruitment, violations of the Citizenship Act and violations of the Immigration Act.

"Eight of the cases came from the Free State, followed by six cases from KwaZulu-Natal. 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."

CORRUPT OFFICIALS TO FACE JAIL

Schreiber said officials who fail to behave will soon find themselves out of Home Affairs and on their way to prison. "One such official who failed to abide by the required standards of ethical conduct is Mogale Raseone, whose trial is set to start on 6 November. He is facing fraud charges. Raseone was dismissed from the department last year after the conclusion of disciplinary processes. He was implicated by the counter-corruption branch in multiple fraudulent transactions that benefitted mostly Pakistani nationals. He allegedly conducted this fraud by manipulating the systems Home Affairs uses to administer immigration." Schreiber said, adding that such cases make them even more determined to pursue digital transformation to close opportunities for manual and paper-based processes to be exploited towards corrupt ends. "Digital transformation holds the key to uprooting corruption in our systems, while enhancing the efficiency of service delivery," he added. He said another official who is waiting to have her day in court is Dora Ncube, a suspended Border Management Authority (BMA) official who was recently arrested in Beitbridge Bridge while trying to smuggle six foreign nationals into the country. Her bail hearing started yesterday at Musina Magistrate's Court and is scheduled to be finalised today.