Schreiber announces crackdown on corrupt Home Affairs, Border Management Authority officials

Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber has announced a crackdown targeting corruption within the immigration sector and his department.
• Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber has announced a crackdown targeting corruption within the immigration sector and his department.
• Since November, the crackdown has led to 27 dismissals at Home Affairs.
• A legal breakthrough in disciplinary hearings now allows external chairpersons to enhance impartiality and accountability across the government.

Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber is taking on corrupt officials who abuse the department's systems.

Speaking at the launch of the Border and Immigration Anti-Corruption Forum in Pretoria on Tuesday, Schreiber said additional processes were under way following the invocation of the Promotion of Administrative Justice Act.

The act recently led to the revocation of South African citizenship that was irregularly granted to a Gupta family member.

"The sum total of this work represents the biggest and most decisive crackdown on corruption to date in the immigration sector.

"By working together every day, we are painstakingly washing the stain of corruption and state capture off Home Affairs so that we can transform the department and the BMA [Border Management Authority] into the proud institutions they deserve to be," he added.

The minister also highlighted the department's commitment to reform systems to reduce discretionary powers enabling fraud and corruption.

"In this quest, our greatest ally is technology," he added.

This initiative is part of a major anti-corruption drive within the department and BMA, which has already resulted in the dismissal or prosecution of several officials.

Recently, nine Home Affairs officials were dismissed, bringing the total to 27 since November, when the department announced 18 had been removed.
Schreiber said a similar crackdown was under way at the BMA after 10 officials were dismissed for corruption and one for aiding and abetting.
"Another 45 BMA cases are at various stages of the disciplinary process and could also result in further dismissals," Schreiber said.

Delivering the keynote address at the event, he added a multi-disciplinary task team had achieved a major legal breakthrough in the Labour Court, which saw a new precedent set that allows the appointment of external chairpersons for disciplinary hearings.
Schreiber said this would change the interpretation of collective agreements in place since 2001 and enable more impartial disciplinary processes across the government.

"This is a major victory, and it is the model the government must now follow in all that we do - precisely because it offers a powerful new avenue to prevent members of corrupt syndicates from protecting each other."

He added:
This is an example of how we are charting a new course in the fight against corruption. The message to crooked officials is clear: we are cleaning house, and when we catch you, you will be out of the door within a matter of weeks.

"Importantly, our message also makes it clear that we apply the rule of law without fear or favour."
He added the department, Special Investigating Unit, BMA, Hawks and the National Prosecuting Authority "were enforcing accountability in the border and immigration environment".

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