SA is being sold one permit at a time: SIU

The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) says its investigation has revealed that South Africa’s borders were not safeguarded by law, but effectively auctioned off through corruption.

Acting SIU head, Leonard Lekgetho, briefed the media on the unit’s interim report into the investigation into the Department of Home Affairs.

Lekgetho says the findings of the SIU probe paint a picture of systemic corruption within the department.

“Officials enriched themselves by unlawfully issuing permits, using spouses as conduits to launder bribes. Syndicates operated with precision, exploiting weaknesses in verification and monitoring,” he said.

He added that South Africa’s immigration system had been treated as a commodity.

“Permits and visas were sold, traded, and laundered. These findings show that corruption in the visa system is not incidental; it is organised, deliberate, and devastating to public trust. Integrity is betrayed.”

The SIU also found that individuals such as Prophet Shepherd Bushiri, Kudakwashe Mpofu, and Nigerian nationals linked to the McLaren case allegedly leveraged influence, fabricated documentation, and misused networks to secure fraudulent immigration status.

The unit further revealed that Pastor Timothy Omotoso’s alleged modus operandi was fundamentally built on fraud and misrepresentation to gain entry into and remain in South Africa.

According to the SIU, Omotoso’s initial entry into the country was secured through a fraudulently obtained work permit, issued in a country where he was not a citizen, based on an unauthorised directive.

Minister of Home Affairs, Leon Schrieber, says the findings stem from nearly two decades of maladministration and malfeasance.

Schrieber says the priority now is to uncover and investigate fraud and corruption, enforce accountability on those responsible, and use digital transformation to drive systemic reform.

“For the first time, the SIU has helped us shed light on the deepest and darkest crevasses of these processes. By exposing both the alleged perpetrators and the systemic loopholes that enabled their manipulation, Home Affairs has been empowered to take decisive action against those who have gotten away with misconduct for far too long,” he said.

The minister confirmed that disciplinary processes against all implicated individuals are ongoing.

“A total of 20 officials have already been dismissed since April last year. I have also requested the Director-General to write to the Department of Public Service and Administration, as well as to the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, to ensure that these former officials are not reemployed elsewhere in the State while they undergo criminal proceedings,” he said.

“Over the past two financial years, a total of 75 disciplinary cases have been completed, resulting in an additional 16 suspensions without pay and 22 written warnings.”

The findings make one thing clear: South Africa’s immigration system was treated as a commodity. Permits and visas were sold, traded, and laundered. These findings show that corruption in the visa system is not incidental; it is organised, deliberate, and devastating to public…

— Special Investigating Unit (SIU) (@RSASIU) February 23, 2026