syndicate
7 December 2007
At least five Home Affairs officials have been arrested today Friday, 7
December 2007 at the department's head office at Watloo, Pretoria, with charges
ranging from fraud, late registration of birth, unlawful nullifying of
marriages and facilitating fraudulent marriages between South African women and
illegal immigrants.
Commending the department in its work to root out corruption, Home Affairs
Director-General Mavuso Msimang says these arrests within its ranks are in line
with the department's zero tolerance approach to corruption. "The department is
using its resources and is also working with other law enforcement (South
African Police Service (SAPS): Crime Intelligence Unit agencies in its fight
against corruption committed by persons inside and outside the department,"
Msimang says.
As a result of this operation, over 1 500 fraudulent marriages and 200 birth
certificates were registered and captured fraudulently between January and
October 2007, using an existing or dormant user-ID of a retired or transferred
official to gain access into the system. This syndicate's modus operandi
includes capturing of a fraudulent and back-date such a marriage between a
South African woman and an illegal immigrant and within few months nullifying
the same marriage on the system.
"We are currently stabilising the Information Technology (IT) network as
well as completing our designs for a future IT infrastructure that will allow
the introduction of innovative new services to customers whilst also ensuring
credible, secure enabling documents that safeguard citizens against identity
theft," Msimang says.
The Director-General reiterates that the vast majority of Home Affairs
employees are not corrupt. There are, however, pockets of corruption which will
continue to be dealt with whenever they manifest themselves. Mr Msimang has
urged Home Affairs officials and members of the public to report any suspected
acts of corruption by dialling the national Anti-Corruption hotline on 0800 701
701 or log on Home Affairs website: http://www.dha.go.za to verify their status
online.
Notes for editors
Meanwhile, 189 Home Affairs officials have either been dismissed or
suspended between April and September 2007, charges ranging from fraud,
misappropriation of state funds, aiding and abetting illegal immigrants,
illegal issuing of documents, selling fraudulent documents, abscondment,
soliciting bribes and theft of face value documents.
Of the 189 officials, 56 were dismissed for committing serious acts of
misconduct. Meanwhile, during the same period we have suspended 34 officials
and issued 99 final written warnings. Causes of fraudulent marriages or common
causes of fraudulent marriages, marriage of convenience; a marriage of
convenience occurs when a victim agrees to enter into holy matrimony with a
foreigner seeking South African citizenship, in exchange for monetary
compensation.
In cases where the foreigner does not honour hi or her part of the bargain
the victim would then claim that the marriage took place without his or her
knowledge. In cases where the transaction is honoured the victim will approach
the offices of Home Affairs, ostensibly to apply for a new Identity Document,
claiming that his or her ID is lost. When records are retrieved and show that
the applicant is married, he or she will then claim that the marriage took
place without his or her consent and then seek annulment.
Crime Syndicates
These are well-organized syndicates that are assisted by corrupt officials,
corrupt religious leaders and unscrupulous marriage officers to marry innocent
South African women to have access to SA's face value documents.
Process of verifying marital status:
Members of the public are urged to use the following to verify their marital
status:
* dialling the department's toll free line: 0800 601 190
* sent an sms to 32551 (i.e. type "M" followed by thirteen digit ID
number)
* logon to the department's website http:// www.dha.gov.za
* lay a complaint at any Home Affairs Offices in the country
Procedure for reporting fraudulent marriages
* make a sworn statement/affidavit at any South African Police Station
* attach the copy of your ID
* forward the above documents to the nearest Home Affairs office or Fax them to
head office at the following fax number: 012 810 6001/7371 attention Head of
marriage section.
Enquiries:
Jacky Mashapu
Cell: 082 885 8449
Tel: 012 810 7308
Email:jacky.mashapu@dha.gov.za
Issued by: Department of Home Affairs
7 December 2007
