Home Affairs official arrested for selling South African passports

May 2, 2024 Vaseline stjohnson 0

Home Affairs official arrested for selling South African passports for R3,000 to foreigners

Zimbabweans and other undocumented foreigners in South Africa have been dealt a blow with the recent arrest of a former Department of Home Affairs employee.

The 34-year-old former employee, identified as Malusi Mlondo, has been arrested and will spend the weekend behind bars. Mlondo, who worked in the Pietermaritzburg office, was arrested in a joint operation carried out by Hawks (Priority Crime Investigation Directorate) and the Home Office’s Anti-Corruption unit. Mlondo was recently arrested on charges of fraud and corruption.

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Home Affairs official arrested for selling South African passports

According to KZN Hawks spokesperson Captain Simphiwe Mhlongo, Mlondo is accused of processing fraudulent passports for foreign nationals at the Durban office in February 2023, allegedly selling these passports for up to R3,000 each.

Further details of the investigation revealed that Mlondo allegedly used the personal information of South African citizens in combination with the identity photographs of foreigners.

“A case of fraud and corruption was reported at Durban Central Police Stations and the case files were assigned to members of the Hawks for further investigation,” Captain Simphiwe Mhlongo said.

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Previous similar case

Mlondo made a brief appearance at the Durban Specialized Commercial Crimes Court on Thursday, where he remained in custody pending a bail application due next Monday.

This incident follows another recent case in April, in which a Department of Home Affairs official in Limpopo was sentenced to 14 years in prison for registering and issuing fraudulent documents to a fictitious individual.

Mdunwazi Ngwenyama was found guilty of corruption at the Giyani Specialized Commercial Crimes Court.

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