The Minister of Home Affairs, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, welcomed the arrest of Mpumalanga Department of Human Settlement Head of Department, Mr Keboni Masange, by immigration officials on Tuesday, 1 September 2020, in Pretoria.
Immigration officials also arrested Mr Zivanai Katikiti, a manager for financial control and reporting, at the Rand West City municipality in Gauteng, on Thursday, 3 September 2020.
Mr Masange contravened the law by acquiring three ID documents through misrepresentation. And, Mr Katikiti contravened immigration laws in several respects.
Mr Masange appeared in court on Thursday, September 3, 2020 and was released on a warning. The Department will be filing its papers to oppose his release by the court and the matter is scheduled to be heard on 2 November 2020. The DHA will place all the relevant facts before the court and is confident of the prospects of success.
An in-depth investigation by the DHA revealed that Mr Masange first entered South Africa on 19 October 1995 using a Zimbabwean passport. He used this passport until 1998.
In June 1996, a few months after entering SA, he applied for an identity document through misrepresenting certain material facts.
In November 1996 he submitted an application for the SADC exemption and his application was approved. He was issued with a certificate in May 1997. This approval was irregular because Mr Masange did not meet the qualifying criteria for the exemption.
A few days before being issued with the certificate of exemption, Mr Masange applied for a second South African identity document. Again, he misrepresented certain material facts.
After receiving the exemption certificate, Mr Masange again applied for the third and current identity document as an exempted foreigner from Zimbabwe.
The DHA has revoked all enabling documents issued to him and as such he is a prohibited person in terms of the immigration laws.
Minister Motsoaledi has launched an immediate investigation into the granting of exemption to Mr Masange and the issuing of the multiple IDs. Any official of the DHA involved in wrong-doing related to this matter will be brought to book.
The Department of Home Affairs’ records show that Mr Katikiti entered South Africa in May 2015. There is no record of Mr Katikiti having applied for work or residence permit in our database.
Mr Katikiti is a prohibited person found in possession of a fraudulent permit and other documents. He was arrested on Thursday and detained in Tshwane. He is scheduled to appear in court today for purposes of deportation.
The Minister has launched an investigation into the origins of the documents. The investigation will also cover Mr Katikiti’s employment with the Rand West City Municipality.
Mr Katikiti was investigated after the Department of Home Affairs received a media query from The Sowetan newspaper.
“We are grateful for the information we receive from members of the public and the media. This enhances the work we are doing to root out maladministration and corruption within the DHA. A partnership between the State and citizens is one of the most efficient tools we have to fight corruption and wrong-doing,” said Minister Motsoaledi.
Minister Motsoaledi said the internal investigation needed to be completed urgently to ensure that rogue elements within the Department of Home Affairs are dealt with and made to account.
Enquiries:
Siya Qoza
Spokesperson for the Minister of Home Affairs
Cell: 082 898 1657
David Hlabane
Media Manager for the Department of Home Affairs
Cell: 071 342 4284
