Home Affairs Committee demands faster corruption investigations into corruption
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The Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs has called for the urgent acceleration of investigations into widespread corruption within the Department of Home Affairs, warning that ongoing delays threaten national security and the integrity of South Africa’s immigration system.
This follows a briefing to the committee by the Special Investigative Unit (SIU), which presented an interim report detailing corruption and fraud in the department.
The committee was also updated on interventions by the department’s Counter Corruption Investigating Unit (CCIU) and the Multidisciplinary Task Team (MDTT).
While welcoming progress made in exposing wrongdoing, committee members stressed that more needs to be done, and faster.
“In welcoming progress made in uncovering corruption and fraud and the actions taken to hold implicated officials accountable in the department, the committee called for increased speed in investigations and disciplinary processes,” said the committee.
The committee strongly condemned what it described as “large-scale corruption” involving Home Affairs officials working with criminal syndicates to illegally sell documents, including visas. It further recommended that officials found guilty be permanently barred from public service.
“They called for those officials who are found guilty of corruption to be blacklisted from working in other organs of state,” the committee said.
The committee warned that corruption within Home Affairs has far-reaching consequences beyond administrative failures.
“Corruption in the department undermines national security, governance and the rule of law,” the committee said, adding that fraud in the immigration system “compromise border integrity” and places additional strain on the country’s finances, infrastructure and public services.
The SIU assured lawmakers that “strict measures are in place to ensure that consequences management is applied,” while the CCIU and MDTT said new safeguards have been introduced to prevent future abuses.
However, systemic challenges continue to hamper progress. The committee identified poor integration between key departmental systems as a major obstacle to efficient investigations.
“It therefore called on the department to urgently accelerate its digital transformation programme, which will strengthen internal controls, improve detection of irregularities and enable faster retrieval of information during investigations.”
The committee also pointed to findings from the SIU and the Lubisi report, which underscore the need for sweeping reforms in the department’s permitting unit, reforms that will require increased funding.
Committee chairperson Mosa Chabane said Parliament will broaden oversight efforts by engaging other sectors affected by the fallout from Home Affairs corruption.
“The committee will in the next quarter initiate a joint meeting with the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training, the Portfolio Committee on Tourism, and the Portfolio Committee on Employment and Labour to share information on the issues identified.”
The committee reiterated its long-standing call for stronger capacity within the CCIU, warning that without urgent reforms and improved resources, efforts to root out corruption in one of the country’s most critical departments may fall short.
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