South Africa’s Special Investigating Unit (SIU), assisted by the Hawks, raided Department of Home Affairs offices in five provinces on Friday, May 10th. This action is part of an ongoing investigation into suspected corruption within the department.
A whistleblower’s tip led the SIU to obtain a search warrant from the Special Tribunal. Raids took place at the department’s head office in Pretoria, the Centurion office, the Desmond Tutu Refugee Centre in Marabastad, as well as Refugee Reception Centres in Musina, Cape Town, Gqeberha, and Durban.
The whistleblower alleges a network of corruption involving Home Affairs officials working with syndicates. These syndicates are suspected of duplicating application files for a fee, enabling illegal immigrants to remain in the country, and facilitating bogus asylum seeker claims. Ultimately, this scheme could lead to illegal citizenship and travel privileges.
The SIU and Hawks seized computers, electronics, and documents as evidence. This investigation is authorized by President Cyril Ramaphosa through Proclamation 154 of 2024. The proclamation empowers the SIU to probe irregularities surrounding various visa and permit issuance processes, as well as potential misconduct by officials.
, assisted by the Hawks, raided Department of Home Affairs offices in five provinces on Friday, May 10th.){kind=link}