The Border Management Authority (BMA) has reaffirmed its zero-tolerance approach to fraud, corruption and misconduct at South Africa’s borders and ports of entry.
“Today, under the auspices of the BMIACF, we reaffirm our zero-tolerance approach to fraud, corruption and misconduct at South Africa’s borders and ports of entry,” BMA Commissioner, Dr Michael Masiapato said.
This is as the Border Management and Immigration Anti-Corruption Forum (BMIACF) has taken a conscious decision to bring the campaign to airports and sea ports.
The forum, which is chaired by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) and seeks to proactively root out corruption from South Africa’s ports of entry, held its quarterly anti-corruption campaign at OR Tambo International Airport on Friday.
The forum also seeks to proactively combat corruption at South Africa’s ports of entry through strengthened collaboration between border management, law-enforcement and other government institutions.
“We are no longer limiting ourselves to our land borders. We are bringing this campaign to our airports and, in the next quarter, we will be going to one of our sea ports, before returning to another airport,” Masiapato said.
He added that corruption does not discriminate by port of entry.
“Corruption does not discriminate by port of entry, and neither can we. Our strategy must be as dynamic and integrated as the threats we face.
“This forum is our collective information-sharing platform, our coordinated investigative hub, and our shield for whistleblowers. It ensures that no corrupt official can hide between the cracks of different agencies.”
Progress made
Masiapato said there has been significant progress made by participating organisations in combating fraud and corruption in the border and immigration sector.
“In the last quarter, the BMA handled 57 labour-relations and disciplinary cases involving internal-control breaches, fraud, corruption and other misconduct affecting organisational integrity.”
Of these, 17 resulted in dismissals, two officials received final warnings, one official was suspended without pay, and two officials were acquitted because of insufficient evidence.
“A further 33 cases remain in the disciplinary process. Most of these cases involve employees who were working in this port of entry (OR Tambo),” he said.
During the same period, the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) finalised 42 cases involving gross misconduct, aiding and abetting, identity-document fraud, and financial misconduct.
“As the accounting authority, I do not get joy from signing suspension or dismissal letters. Every time I sign those letters, it pains me, because it is not only the official who is going to suffer; it is his or her family that suffers the most.
“A suspension or dismissal does not end with the individual; it reaches into the home and affects children, spouses, parents and dependents who had nothing to do with the misconduct,” Masiapato said.
Masiapato urged every official in the border and immigration sector to refrain from fraud and corruption.
“Protect your job, protect your family, and protect the integrity of this organisation. The consequences are simply not worth it,” he said.
The SIU’s Acting Chief Operations Officer, Zodwa Xesibe, said there is a need to investigate acts of fraud and corruption with the understanding that corruption is not a victimless crime.
“When public money is stolen, diverted or improperly spent, somebody ultimately pays the price,” Xesibe said.
She said no anti-corruption strategy can succeed without leadership, adding that leadership is also demonstrated by what happens when misconduct occurs.
“Of greater importance is the changing face of fraud and corruption. Technology has transformed government operations and created enormous opportunities for efficiency. It has also created new opportunities for fraud and corruption,” she said.
Xesibe said there is a need for better use of data, strong information sharing, digital forensic capabilities and institutions capable of identifying patterns and connecting information across organisational boundaries.
“The fight against fraud and corruption is sometimes described as a battle. It is indeed. But it is also something more profound. It is a test of the kind of state we want to build. A state where public resources are protected, where institutions are accountable. We all have an important role in this.
“We all have an important role in this broader anti-corruption architecture. The effectiveness of the anti-corruption architecture is dependent on cooperation of our institutions and public entities,” she said.
Impact
Also taking part in the programme was an offender serving a 10-year prison sentence for fraud.
Hlengiwe Khumalo was employed by the South African Revenue Service (SARS) when she committed the fraud.
“I was working well with a good salary, but unfortunately I got bad influence from friends and ended up committing fraud, and I ended up [being] arrested,” she said.
Khumalo said what she did affected her children and her parents very badly.
“I did not have the courage to tell my parents about what was happening,” she said.
Khumalo lost her cars and houses and also had to pay back all the money she stole from SARS.
The campaign was led by Masiapato, together with the Home Affairs Director-General, Tommy Makhode and representatives from other government institutions.
The programme included the public signing of an anti-corruption pledge by the participating leaders, engagements with officials, testimonies from incarcerated offenders who have been sentenced for fraud and corruption-related offences, as well as a presentation by the Hawks on efforts to combat corruption at ports of entry.– SAnews.gov.za
