Two police sergeants, Ethel Ndifheleni Baloyi and John Moeketsi Maoba, both aged 42, have been arrested and charged on 12 counts of fraud and 12 counts of defeating the administration of justice.
Gauteng spokesperson for the Hawks, Lieutenant Colonel Lloyd Ramovha said the police officers were allegedly submitting fraudulent Department of Home Affairs statements, resulting in the release of suspected illegal immigrants.
The foreign nationals released on bail would subsequently evade trial.

Two police sergeants, Ethel Ndifheleni Baloyi and John Moeketsi Maoba, have been released on R1,000 bail each.
“It is with a sense of duty and commitment to justice that we report the successful execution of arrest warrants for two police officials implicated in serious crimes,” said Ramovha.
“They were arrested on Friday, 17 January 2025, following an investigation into a criminal case that was registered at Bekkersdal police station in February 2024.”
The Hawks’ serious corruption investigation ensued shortly after a complaint was lodged by a representative of the Westonaria court.

Ramovha said the allegations made by the court official were based on suspicion of fraudulent activities and obstruction of justice by the pair of police officers who are both stationed at Bekkersdal police station, in Westonaria.
 “The officers were accused of submitting fraudulent Home Affairs statements, resulting in the release of suspected illegal immigrants on bail who subsequently evaded trial. A thorough investigation by West Rand-based serious corruption investigation confirmed the fraudulent nature of the statements,” said Ramovha.
The matter was then referred to the Director of Public Prosecutions, who determined that the police officers should be prosecuted.

They appeared in the Randfontein Magistrate’s Court on Monday, and their bail application was heard on Tuesday.
Sergeants Baloyi and Maoba were granted R1,000 bail each. The matter was postponed to February 27.
Meanwhile, Gauteng head of the Hawks, Major General Ebrahim Kadwa has welcomed the arrest.
“This statement reflects our unwavering commitment to upholding justice and integrity within our ranks,” said Kadwa

South Africans know what they like – and they stick to it. Creatures of comfort, we love our turquoise coastlines and rand-friendly destinations, returning to them again and again, even amidst changing global travel trends. Think Mauritius, Zanzibar, Thailand, and Turkey.

“We always get asked what’s changed since the pandemic, but if you were to do a snapshot of our top destinations and routings, it’s very much what it was pre-COVID. South Africans return to the popular favourites,” says Sue Garrett, General Manager of Supply, Pricing & Marketing at Flight Centre Travel Group (FCTG).

Why South Africans return to the same holiday destinations
The appeal of visa-free travel reigns supreme. “Visa requirements tend to influence travel choices significantly – our top holiday destinations are often visa-free spots. South Africans don’t want the hassle of securing visas, which is why they regularly go to places like Mauritius or Zanzibar year after year,” explains Garrett.

As mentioned, favourable exchange rates play a crucial role too. Destinations like Thailand and Turkey offer South Africans more bang for their buck, allowing holiday spending on experiences rather than just basics.
Regarding local destinations, returning to favourites like Sun City, KZN and the Garden Route gives South African holiday-goers that much-desired sense of reliability and safety.

"Our top domestic destinations over the December 2024/January 2025 summer season were Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban, Port Elizabeth and George,” says Euan McNeil, Managing Director at FCTG South Africa. “These tried-and-tested locations remain popular because they're seen as safe, affordable, and reliable.”

Favourite international holiday destinations
According to McNeil, Flight Centre South Africa’s top 5 international destinations (for 1 December 2024 to 30 January 2025) are the UK, Australia, UAE, USA and Thailand.
“The bulk of our bookings for Thailand, Mauritius, UAE, Indonesia (including Bali) and Tanzania (including Zanzibar) were in December,” explains McNeil. “South Africans can’t resist visa-free destinations – especially if they have offer bang-for-buck, all-inclusive packages, warm water and beautiful beaches!”

McNeil explains that the bulk of travel to European destinations (including Italy, UK, Turkey, France, Greece and Spain) happens in August and September – as South Africans tend to avoid the cold of a European winter!

Local heroes
Closer to home, Cape Town and Plettenberg Bay in the Western Cape, Umngazi in the Eastern Cape, and Ballito and Southbroom in KwaZulu-Natal remain firm favourites for domestic holidays, offering South Africans familiarity and safety without having to dig out the passports – and, of course, those beautiful beaches and balmy lagoons.
Their affordability and being close to home means extended family and friends can join the exodus to the nation’s best beaches. This social aspect of going on holiday together is another major driver for Saffer travellers, especially over the festive season when quality time with loved ones is even more prized.

Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber said since 2015, more than R300 million has been spent on deporting undocumented foreign nationals.

•    Since 2015, just over R300 million has been spent on deporting undocumented foreign nationals.
•    Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber said a high number of foreign nationals were being deported from the Lindela Repatriation Centre.
•    Schreiber was responding to parliamentary questions.

Undocumented foreign nationals are being deported within 10 days of being locked up, but deportation costs continue to drain the public purse.
Responding to parliamentary questions from ActionSA and the IFP, Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber reported since 2015, more than R300 million has been spent on deporting people who were in the country illegally.
In 2015/16, the department spent R51 million on deportation costs; R28 million in 2016/17 and 2017/18; R23 million in 2018/19 and 2020/21; R22 million in 2021/22; and R17 million in 2022/23. During the 2023/24 and 2024/25 financial years, deportation costs amounted to R54 million and R73 million, respectively.

ActionSA MP Lerato Ngobeni asked Schreiber about recouping the money spent on deportations.
Schreiber replied that Section 34(3) of the Immigration Act 2002 was used to recover some money.
This section states: "The director-general may order a foreigner subject to deportation to deposit a sum sufficient to cover in whole or in part the expenses related to his or her deportation, detention, maintenance and custody and an officer may in the prescribed manner enforce payment of such deposit."

Responding to a written parliamentary question from IFP MP Busaphi Eleonor Machi, Schreiber said the department deported a high number of inmates who were detained at the Lindela Repatriation Centre within 10 days.
The centre is the country's biggest holding facility.

Schreiber said:
The longer they stay in the facility, the more costs are incurred. The department currently bought 10 buses and trucks that will be utilised to conduct deportation through funds provided by the Criminal Assets Recovery Account instead of outsourcing the buses to conduct deportations. These are now operational and were recently used to deport Basotho nationals on 22 November 2024.

Furthermore, he added a non-profit organisation assisted the department with cleaning the facility at no cost.
"They give their members a stipend every month-end. This helps to maintain an adequate standard of the facility," Schreiber said.
He added the department informed all embassies or consular generals about their nationals who were detained at Lindela.
This is to help identify them prior to deportation and issue any travel documents that allow them to leave South Africa.
In five months – between April and August last year – South Africa spent more than R52 million to deport 19 750 foreigners who were in the country illegally.

There were more than 150 000 recorded asylum seekers and refugees in the country, with most from Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and Bangladesh.
There are 68 991 active refugees, including those from Somalia (21 202), Ethiopia (13 680), the DRC (20 624), Rwanda (932), and Zimbabwe (3 408). There are also refugees from Yemen (four), Ukraine (three), and Syria (40).
In December 2022, the Constitutional Court ruled sections of the Refugees Act, which denied asylum seekers' rights unconstitutional.

The Constitutional Court was confirming the Western Cape High Court's ruling, delivered by Deputy Judge President Patricia Goliath.
The Scalabrini Centre had applied to the High Court for a declaratory order that subsections and regulations of the Refugees Act were inconsistent with the Constitution and were, therefore, invalid.
The centre argued the minister of home affairs – at the time Aaron Motsoaledi – the director-general of the Department of Home Affairs, and the chairperson of the department's Standing Committee for Refugee Affairs created a system whereby asylum seekers who failed to renew their visas within one month of the date of expiry were deemed to have abandoned their applications for asylum.

This was unless they could satisfy the standing committee that there were compelling reasons for their failure to renew their visas timeously.