Home Affairs dismisses 65 staff and suspends 16 amid SIU probe into sold visas and passports

Sixty-five Home Affairs officials have been dismissed and 16 suspended since July 2024 amid an ongoing Special Investigating Unit (SIU) probe into alleged corruption involving the sale of visas, permits and identity documents, the department’s minister told Parliament.

What the minister told MPs

Home Affairs Minister Dr Leon Schreiber provided the figures in a parliamentary reply to uMkhonto weSizwe Party MP Mariam Muhammad, who asked about reports of systemic corruption and safeguards for the National Population Register (NPR).

Schreiber said the department could not confirm the total number of fraudulent visas, permits and identity-related documents identified since July 2024 because the SIU investigation remains ongoing. He said the department “does not maintain a single consolidated register of confirmed fraudulent visas and permits.”

Disciplinary and criminal action

The department has pursued internal disciplinary proceedings and referred cases to law enforcement, including the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI). Since 1 July 2024, nine officials have been convicted for contravening departmental regulations.

Schreiber cited one conviction in which an official offered an investigator in the Counter Corruption and Security Services branch R10,000 to halt an investigation into the irregular issuance and approval of visas. That official was sentenced to three years’ direct imprisonment.

Administrative measures when fraud is found

Where fraud is confirmed, the department can refuse, withdraw or cancel visas and permits and refer matters to law enforcement. Schreiber said such cases can also result in placing applicants’ details on the visa and entry stop list (“v-list”).

Safeguards for the National Population Register

Schreiber said Home Affairs has implemented a layered control environment to protect the NPR from organised syndicates, corrupt officials and external threats. Measures described in his reply include:

• Biometric verification of identity applications and material changes, including fingerprints and increasingly facial biometrics.
• Duplicate detection and automated validation to identify conflicting or potentially fraudulent applications.
• Restricted access, controlled user authentication and role-based access to systems.
• Electronic audit trails that log the official, workstation, date, time and action performed.
• Additional approval or “maker-checker” controls for higher-risk transactions and amendments.
• Monitoring and anomaly detection to identify suspicious access and transaction patterns.

Automation and external channels

The department is automating identity registration, verification and adjudication processes to reduce human intervention and the risk of collusion or manipulation. Schreiber said Home Affairs has expanded services through participating banks to provide more secure digital channels and reduce unnecessary interaction between applicants and officials.

As at 31 July 2026, approximately 503,425 identity applications had been processed through 377 participating bank branches, Schreiber said. He added that banks and other external partners do not have direct access to create, alter or delete NPR records and that information captured through these channels remains subject to departmental validation, biometric matching and approval controls.

Preserving the investigation

Because the SIU probe is ongoing, Schreiber said detailed case information and evidence are not routinely shared “to preserve the integrity of the investigation and prevent any potential interference with investigative processes.”

He said that when fraud is confirmed through administrative, forensic or criminal investigations, the department takes appropriate action in terms of the Immigration Act, including referral to the appropriate law enforcement authorities where warranted.