Four suspects linked to a stolen home affairs stamp and the selling of fraudulent birth certificates are set to make a formal bail bid at the Kgosi Mampuru prison on Wednesday.

The four men, all Mozambican nationals, were arrested after the discovery of an alleged fake birth certificate bearing a stamp that had been reported stolen at the home affairs Centurion offices.

Two suspects were arrested last month for allegedly printing and selling fraudulent birth certificates while two other suspects — a father and son — were arrested for allegedly having a fraudulent birth certificate.

It is alleged that Lebogang Tibane, 24, had approached the Centurion home affairs to apply for an ID.

Upon arrival, the official at home affairs who was assisting noticed that the stamp used on the birth certificate had been stolen several months before.
She then summoned Tibane to come with a parent.

He then presented himself at the office with his father Amerco Tibane.

The two were then arrested and during questioning revealed that they had bought the certificate from Rhandzu Chauke for R6,000. Chauke works at the home affairs Centurion officer as a cleaner.

Chauke, who is now out on a R1,000 bail, was subsequently arrested on her way from work.

During questioning she revealed that she worked with two Mozambican nationals — Sibusiso Mthembu and Methusi Ncube — to manufacture fake birth certificates.

According to a Sowetan source, Mthembu was going around looking for undocumented migrants who wanted to buy fake IDs to legitimise their stay in SA.

Chauke would then send names of undocumented migrants to Ncube who prints fake birth certificates and then marks them with a stamp stolen from her office.

The revelations about the work of this alleged syndicate come at a time when the selling of fake documents is under the spotlight.

Provincial police spokesperson Col Noxolo Kweza confirmed at the time of the arrests that the suspects were part of the alleged syndicate.