18 home affairs officials dismissed for offences including sexual harassment, fraud and corruption

Eighteen officials have been fired by the home affairs department with immediate effect for a variety of offences including sexual harassment, fraud and corruption.

Of the 18, six were dismissed for irregular solemnisation and registration of marriages, while four were dismissed for irregular granting of ID documents.

According to the department, four officials were issued with final written warnings, two of which carry a one- and three-months salary suspension, respectively.

Department spokesperson Siya Qoza said two other officials received written warnings.

The dismissals and disciplinary action follow the conclusion of all mandated human resource and appeals processes by the department.

Home affairs minister Leon Schreiber said the dismissals send a clear and unambiguous message that the days where acts of fraud and corruption are committed with impunity against home affairs are over.

“Dismissals and prosecutions are set to continue ramping up until we have squeezed crime and corruption out of the system,” he said.

“I thank the various law enforcement agencies supporting home affairs as well as committed members of management for increasingly turning our shared commitment to zero tolerance for corruption into a reality. Those who cheapen and defraud our country are learning the hard way that there is nowhere to hide from a reinvigorated home affairs that is committed to upholding the rule of law and delivering dignity.”

Qoza said the dismissals and disciplining of errant officials are the result of the further intensification of the department’s clampdown on corruption, fraud and maladministration.

He said the dismissals follow from a series of recent convictions and reflect the intensification of co-operation between the department, the Special Investigating Unit, and the Hawks.

“Where prosecutable offences have been committed, the dockets will be referred for criminal prosecution, while home affairs also continues to work on measures to recover ill-gotten gains from perpetrators,” he said.

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