Home Affairs Deputy Minister Fatima Chohan, responding to questions in the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) today, Tuesday, 6 March 2012, reiterated unequivocally the department’s commitment to pushing back the frontiers of fraud and corruption.
To this end, and as part of national efforts to root out fraud and corruption, the department has installed integrated electronic security systems in 47 of its offices to monitor staff, as well as to detect illegal, and corrupt activities.
The installation of this technology is aimed at, amongst others:
- Protecting assets, information and employees
- Augmenting the human resource capacity utilised for physical security purposes at the different offices, and
- Detection of illicit activities by both members of the public, as well as employees of the department, whilst on the premises of the department
The Minister further confirmed that a total of 20 employees have thus far been suspended for fraud and corruption in the 2011/12 financial year.
Some of the alleged charges against these officials include, amongst others, soliciting bribes from illegal foreigners in exchange for the endorsement of passports with fraudulent visas and permits, altering information, or residential status on the department’s Movement Control System, further aiding and abetting illegal foreigners, and the officials, themselves, being found in possession of Identity Documents, without permission, outside the offices of the department.
Having concluded that the installation of integrated electronic security systems are assisting to fight corruption, by also serving as a deterrent to would-be perpetrators, the department is in the process of rolling out these systems to all of its other offices. The roll out will however be determined by its budget resources.
On two separate occasions perpetrators were caught on camera, and are being prosecuted, both within the department and criminally. The recently installed system at the hepartment’s Head Office in Pretoria also has the capacity to monitor the attendance as well as arrival and departure of officials.
