Blow for Zimbabweans and Undocumented Foreigners: Home Affairs Official Arrested for Selling South African Passports For R3,000

Home Affairs Official Arrested for Selling South African Passports at R3,000 For Foreigners

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

The 34-year-old ex-employee, identified as Malusi Mlondo, has been taken into custody and will spend the weekend behind bars. Mlondo, who worked at the Pietermaritzburg office, was apprehended in a joint operation conducted by the Hawks (Directorate for Priority Crimes Investigation) and the Home Affairs Counter Corruption unit. Mlondo was recently arrested on charges of fraud and corruption.

According to KZN Hawks spokesperson Captain Simphiwe Mhlongo, Mlondo stands 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 purportedly used the personal information of South African citizens in combination with the identity photos of the foreign nationals.

“A case of fraud and corruption was reported at Durban Central police stations and the case dockets were allocated to Hawks members for further investigation,” Captain Simphiwe Mhlongo said.

Mlondo made a brief appearance at the Durban Specialised Commercial Crime Court on Thursday, where he was remanded in custody pending a bail application scheduled for next Monday.

This incident follows another recent case in April, where 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 convicted of corruption in the Giyani Specialised Commercial Crimes Court.

The post Blow for Zimbabweans and Undocumented Foreigners: Home Affairs Official Arrested for Selling South African Passports For R3,000 appeared first on iHarare News.