The findings were contained in an interim report presented on Monday (23/2) by Acting SIU head Leonard Lekgetho. The investigation, authorised by President Cyril Ramaphosa under Proclamation 154 of 2024, exposes what Lekgetho described as a systematic betrayal of public trust. 

“South Africa was being sold one permit at a time.” Protecting the public interest and assets must be ensured by prevention measures and systemic investigations to eradicate fraud, maladministration, and corruption, said Lekgetho.

‘Immigration system had effectively been turned into a marketplace’

“An interim report outlining the outcomes of our investigation has been submitted to the president, and we are now making the findings publicly available.”

South Africa’s immigration system had effectively been turned into a marketplace, where permits and visas were sold to the highest bidder, the SIU found. Officials entrusted with safeguarding the integrity of home affairs allegedly converted their positions into profit-making schemes, colluding with syndicates and external actors to issue fraudulent documentation.

Among those implicated are controversial Malawian Bishop, prophet Shepherd Bushiri, businessman Kudakwashe Mpofu, and Nigerian rapper Prince Daniel Obioma, also known as 3GAR. These individuals exploited influence, fabricated documents, and manipulated systemic weaknesses to secure fraudulent residence permits, said Lekgetho.

The investigation was triggered by a whistleblower who alleged foreign nationals were entering South Africa, fraudulently obtaining asylum seeker permits, and later leveraging those documents to apply for permanent residence and ultimately citizenship.

The SIU found corrupt officials issued permits without properly assessing asylum claims. Even when applications were rejected, applicants would exhaust appeals up to the Constitutional court, allowing them to remain in the country for extended periods regardless of merit, he added.

Armed with a Special Tribunal order and assisted by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks), the SIU searched five refugee reception offices. Authorities seized laptops, cellphones, external drives, and files, imaging 237 items for cyber forensic analysis. 

Nefarious syndicate

Cellphone data revealed direct communication between officials and foreign nationals, with E-Wallet payments ranging from R500 to R3,000, facilitating unlawful approvals, said Lekgetho.

“Payments were made through various methods: cash hidden in application forms, with office doors closed to avoid cameras; E-Wallet deposits using non-RICA-registered or fraudulently RICA-registered numbers; asylum seekers sending E-Wallet payments to themselves and providing OTPs to officials; and in-kind payments, such as covering officials’ private rent or services. Officials used dummy phones to conceal transactions and communication,” he added.

The SIU uncovered what it described as a “nefarious syndicate” of adjudicators responsible for processing and approving visa applications. Four officials earning less than R25,000 per month collectively received R16,3m in direct deposits. 

Evidence showed they purchased multiple properties in cash and built high-value residential developments with infrastructure far beyond their lawful means.

Applications were allegedly sent via WhatsApp for expedited approval, and payments followed almost immediately. Funds were funnelled through spouses’ bank accounts to disguise bribes. 

In one instance, a permit approved on 20 December was followed by a R3,000 deposit into a spouse’s account the next day. Transaction references such as “Permit,” “Visa Process,” and “Building Material” masked the true purpose of payments, said Lekgetho.

In Bushiri’s case, the SIU discovered his permanent residence permit was approved by an adjudicator who was a member of his church, ECG Ministries, a glaring conflict of interest. 

His application included a fraudulent letter of financial independence signed by a chartered accountant who admitted he was paid merely for his signature. Investigators also traced $1.2m in cash linked to an alleged aircraft purchase, raising concerns about money laundering. 

“Religious donations were converted into bricks, mortar, and corporate shares,” Lekgetho noted.

Mpofu, meanwhile, obtained a fraudulent PRP in 2018 for R3,000 through an agent. Despite irregularities in the document, he secured senior roles at the North-West Development Corporation, earning up to R1.6m annually, he added. 

Following referral to the National Prosecuting Authority, he was convicted in the Mmabatho Regional Court and sentenced to three years’ correctional supervision, with an additional suspended sentence for fraud.

The SIU also uncovered identity fraud schemes in collaboration with Interpol, where foreign nationals allegedly used the fingerprints of unsuspecting South Africans to obtain passports. DNA sample manipulation linked to permanent residence permit applications and abuse of the retirement visa category further exposed systemic vulnerabilities.

Financial gains exceeding R181m were traced to beneficiaries of fraudulent visa applications. The SIU warned the corruption poses complex, interconnected risks across sectors from banking and real estate to healthcare and border security, demanding a coordinated, whole-of-government response.

Among its recommendations, the SIU called for stronger contract management, comprehensive employee vetting, ethical training, enhanced system integration across departments, stricter verification processes before visa issuance, and improved quality assurance controls.

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OFM News/ Kekeletso Mosebetsi mvh