- Four Home Affairs officials earning less than R25,000 a month received more than R16-million in unexplained deposits, the SIU found.
- The SIU found Shepherd Bushiri and Timothy Omotoso used fraudulent documents to illegally obtain permits to stay in South Africa.
The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) says South Africa's immigration system has been turned into what it calls "a marketplace, where permits and visas were sold."
SIU Acting Head Leonard Lekgetho made the claim at a press conference on Monday, 23 February. The investigation was authorised by President Cyril Ramaphosa under Proclamation 154 of 2024.
Four Home Affairs officials, each earning less than R25,000 a month, received more than R16-million in unexplained deposits. They used WhatsApp to fast-track applications. Once a permit was approved, payments came through quickly.
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Payments ranged from R500 to R6,000. The money was paid into bank accounts belonging to the officials' spouses. In some cases, cash was hidden inside application forms or sent via E-Wallet using unregistered numbers.
In May 2024, the SIU seized 237 electronic devices from five Refugee Reception Offices. Investigators said the devices contained evidence of asylum fraud and communication between officials and foreign nationals.
The SIU also implicated well-known religious leaders. It alleged that Shepherd Bushiri obtained permanent residence using fraudulent financial documents and through a conflict of interest involving an adjudicator linked to his church. The SIU said religious donations were converted into bricks, mortar and corporate shares.
Timothy Omotoso was found to have used fraudulent permits and unlawfully obtained waivers to remain in South Africa.
Lekgetho said the corruption is "organised, deliberate, and devastating to public trust," and called for urgent reforms to fix the immigration system.
