Three officials from the department of home affairs in Queenstown are facing corruption charges after allegedly taking a bribe from a Malawian asylum seeker.
The three appeared before the Queenstown Magistrate’s Court yesterday but the case was postponed due to a lack of legal representatives.
They will appear in the same court today in order for their legal representatives to be present.
Simphiwe Mahala, 37, Mziwamanene Ncapayi, 56, and Pozisa Ntlabati, 35, were arrested on September 2 through a joint operation between the serious corruption investigation unit of the Hawks and the police’s crime intelligence unit.
Eastern Cape Hawks spokeswoman Captain Anelisa Feni said the state would allege the three immigration officials arrested the
28-year-old Malawian for being in possession of invalid asylum seeker documents last month.
“They allegedly released the man the same day in return for a bribe,” Feni said.
When the trio went back to the Malawian, allegedly to collect an outstanding balance of the bribe, the Hawks arrested them.
Home Affairs national spokesman Mayihlome Tshwete said the department fully supported the Hawks and that more arrests were expected.
Tshwete said his department worked closely with the Hawks in an effort to clean out corruption in the home affairs department.
“We have our own counter-corruption unit that organises sting operations to swoop on corrupt individuals within our department.”
Tshwete said the unit worked with the Hawks and the police, security companies and foreign nationals to arrest corrupt individuals.
Last year, Department of Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba launched operation Bvisa Masina, a Venda phrase which means “throw out the rot”, in an effort to rid the department of corruption.
According to Tshwete, the operation had netted more than 50 corrupt officials since its launch.
“Our message is clear, we have a zero-tolerance approach to corruption,” he added.
Last week, the Dispatch reported on an elderly East London woman who was unable to claim her late daughter’s pension fund because the deceased was illegally “married” to a foreign national.
East London home affairs spokesman Ngenisile Stuurman attributed this to a syndicate that involved corrupt individuals, including home affairs officials and foreigners.
Stuurman has since advised single women to check their marital status at home affairs.
Three from home affairs in court for bribe
The three appeared before the Queenstown Magistrate’s Court yesterday but the case was postponed due to a lack of legal representatives.
They will appear in the same court today in order for their legal representatives to be present.
Simphiwe Mahala, 37, Mziwamanene Ncapayi, 56, and Pozisa Ntlabati, 35, were arrested on September 2 through a joint operation between the serious corruption investigation unit of the Hawks and the police’s crime intelligence unit.
Eastern Cape Hawks spokeswoman Captain Anelisa Feni said the state would allege the three immigration officials arrested the
28-year-old Malawian for being in possession of invalid asylum seeker documents last month.
“They allegedly released the man the same day in return for a bribe,” Feni said.
When the trio went back to the Malawian, allegedly to collect an outstanding balance of the bribe, the Hawks arrested them.
Home Affairs national spokesman Mayihlome Tshwete said the department fully supported the Hawks and that more arrests were expected.
Tshwete said his department worked closely with the Hawks in an effort to clean out corruption in the home affairs department.
“We have our own counter-corruption unit that organises sting operations to swoop on corrupt individuals within our department.”
Tshwete said the unit worked with the Hawks and the police, security companies and foreign nationals to arrest corrupt individuals.
Last year, Department of Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba launched operation Bvisa Masina, a Venda phrase which means “throw out the rot”, in an effort to rid the department of corruption.
According to Tshwete, the operation had netted more than 50 corrupt officials since its launch.
“Our message is clear, we have a zero-tolerance approach to corruption,” he added.
Last week, the Dispatch reported on an elderly East London woman who was unable to claim her late daughter’s pension fund because the deceased was illegally “married” to a foreign national.
East London home affairs spokesman Ngenisile Stuurman attributed this to a syndicate that involved corrupt individuals, including home affairs officials and foreigners.
Stuurman has since advised single women to check their marital status at home affairs.
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