Home Affairs Minister Dr Leon Schreiber has welcomed the arrest of a Border Management Authority (BMA) official who allegedly accepted money to unlawfully endorse the passport of a Lesotho national at the Maseru Port of Entry last month.
“The Minister of Home Affairs, Dr Leon Schreiber, has welcomed the arrest of a Border Management Authority official as part of the ongoing campaign to root out corruption across the Home Affairs ecosystem and strengthen the integrity of South Africa's immigration system,” the Department of Home Affairs said on Friday.
The official was arrested on Thursday, 9 July 2026, following a joint investigation by the Department of Home Affairs' Counter Corruption branch, the South African Police Service Crime Intelligence division, and the Ladybrand Detectives.
The official is alleged to have accepted a payment of R600 to unlawfully endorse the passport of a Lesotho national at the Maseru Port of Entry on 29 June 2026, despite the individual not presenting herself at the immigration counter as required by law.
The alleged offence came to light after the Lesotho national was arrested by the South African Police Service in an unrelated matter. During the subsequent investigation, information emerged that a payment had allegedly been made through intermediaries to facilitate the unlawful endorsement of her passport.
This led investigators to identify the BMA officer allegedly responsible for the fraudulent immigration stamp.
The accused has been charged with corruption and is expected to appear in the Ladybrand Magistrate's Court on Monday,13 July 2026.
"Every corrupt official who undermines the integrity of South Africa's border management system must know that the net is closing in. We are working relentlessly across the Home Affairs ecosystem with our law enforcement partners to ensure that those who abuse the public's trust are identified, arrested and prosecuted,” the Minister said.
The investigation remains ongoing, and further arrests may follow. -SAnews.gov.za
