It was found that an estimated 45 000 fraudulent visas were issued between 2014 and June 2021.
• The Department of Home Affairs continues to smoke out corrupt officials within its ranks.
• Officials at South Africa`s missions in Ghana and China were caught issuing fraudulent visas.
• On Tuesday, the Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs was briefed on the progress made in rooting out corruption.
The Department of Home Affairs swooped in on South Africa`s missions in Ghana and China after foreign deployment officials were caught irregularly issuing visas.
It was found that an estimated 45 000 fraudulent visas were issued between 2014 and June 2021.
On Tuesday, the Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs was briefed on the progress made by the department to investigate the illegal issuing of visas and other documents.
Cassius Lubisi, the former director-general in the Presidency, chairs a task team that was established to review all permits issued since 2004 �` the year in which the Immigration Amendment Act came into operation.
Forensic investigator Peter Bishop, who is part of the task team, said fraudulent issuance of visas and permits was uncovered at the Ghana mission in Accra.
`One official has been suspended and charged, and is undergoing a disciplinary hearing, which will sit again on 15 August 2023. A referral has also been made to the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation [the Hawks] in this matter,` Bishop said in his presentation.
Two other officials were suspended at the mission in China, he said.
`Precautionary suspension letters were issued on 6 June 2023 in matters related to irregular issuance of visas. Both members` foreign deployment has also come to an end. A draft charge sheet [has] been prepared and [a] charge sheet in respect of one official served, and notice of disciplinary proceedings against [the other official] was served. Disciplinary proceedings in respect of one official commenced on 8 August 2023,` he said.
Bishop also said they identified challenges in the Gupta family`s early naturalisation matter.
In 2018, it emerged that former Home Affairs minister Malusi Gigaba had approved the early naturalisation of Ajay Gupta`s family despite Ajay refusing to let go of his Indian citizenship.
Gigaba had, on several occasions, publicly stated that Atul Gupta was not a South African citizen, only to later say that Atul was a citizen and that it was Ajay who had not been naturalised.
In 2021, the Public Protector`s office ordered the director-general of Home Affairs to take action against department officials involved in the naturalisation of Ajay and his family.
This was in relation to the officials` failure to exercise due diligence by verifying the accuracy of the information contained in the motivation for early naturalisation.
On the positive side, Bishop said administrative processes were currently being reviewed by the task team based on available evidence `to plug any gaps in pursuing disciplinary charges`.
Regarding the Sheperd Bushiri matter, the task team supports the Hawks with the ongoing criminal investigation and disciplinary matters of four officials.
`These disciplinaries were delayed for two years and are now being unblocked,` Bishop said.
More recently, 11 new finalised matters are expected to be submitted to the home affairs director-general for consideration and submission to the Hawks investigation.
ANC MP Asnath Molekwa said the department should continue pursuing the major cases.
She said:
We hope that the Bushiri case will be sorted out very soon. We need closure of the report and this matter.
DA MP Adrian Roos said the issuing of fraudulent documents had a negative impact on the economy.
`Visas promote tourism and economic growth. I see that, in some cases, charges are being laid against officials for fraudulent visa issuance. We expect this due to the threat to national security. It appears that some people undergo disciplinary action for this. Disciplinary action can be a lengthy process, as we have been seen before,` he said.