Ex‑Musina teacher jailed for seven years over passport bribes

A former Musina High School teacher has been sentenced to seven years’ direct imprisonment after a court found he took R45 000 in bribes to facilitate illegal passport stamps and temporary residence permit stickers.

Sentence handed down in Morebeng Regional Court

The accused, 59‑year‑old Shoni Theodor Maoka of Nancefield, Musina, appeared in the Morebeng Regional Court on Tuesday, 22 July 2026 where the sentence was imposed. Maoka was found guilty on four counts of corruption and initially sentenced to a combined 22 years’ imprisonment.

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said the court ordered the sentences to run concurrently, producing an effective sentence of seven years’ direct imprisonment.

What the state case said

According to NPA spokesperson Mashudu Malabi, the accused pleaded not guilty but the state led evidence that between September and December 2015 he received gratification amounting to R45 000 in return for facilitating the placement of temporary residence permit stickers and entry stamps in the passports of foreign nationals.

Malabi said, “These services fall within the mandate of the Department of Home Affairs. Through his unlawful conduct, the accused enabled foreign nationals to remain in South Africa illegally.”

Investigation, aggravation and sentencing arguments

Maoka was arrested following an investigation by the South African Police Service (Saps) and subsequently prosecuted, the NPA said.

In aggravation of sentence, state Advocate Norman Makhubele noted that Maoka was a public servant employed by the Department of Education and had abused his position for personal financial gain. The state argued that his conduct contributed to the challenge of illegal immigration and that a fine would not be an appropriate sentence for corruption‑related offences.

Malabi added that the state had submitted the accused’s claims of ill health should not be given significant weight, “as correctional facilities are equipped to provide medical care to inmates.”

Prosecutors’ response to corruption

Advocate Ivy Thenga, the Director of Public Prosecutions in Limpopo, warned about the wider harm of corruption, saying “corruption threatens the country’s economic stability and undermines public confidence in state institutions.”

She said the NPA remains committed to an aggressive stance against corruption and will continue to use available resources to ensure those who engage in corrupt activities are brought to justice, and commended the prosecution and investigation teams for their work in securing the conviction and sentence.