Immigration permit scandal rocks home affairs department

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ActionSA has called for immediate action after the Special Investigating Unit’s (SIU) probe revealed the Home Affairs Department sold immigration permits and visas to the highest bidder.

Parliamentary Chief Whip Lerato Ngobeni praised the SIU’s efforts but expressed deep concern that formal investigations into long-known, widely discussed practices have taken years to commence.

According to Ngobeni, South Africa has already witnessed the consequences of a compromised immigration system.

“Disgraced individuals such as Shepherd Bushiri and Timothy Omotoso allegedly exploited fraudulent or improperly obtained documentation to build questionable wealth, influence and power within our borders.

#SIUWorkingForYou| The Acting Head of the SIU, mR Leonard Lekgetho has taken to the podium:

The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has uncovered a disturbing reality: South Africa’s immigration system has been treated as a marketplace, where permits and visas were sold to the… https://t.co/Pt3MXrqbIx pic.twitter.com/23Mk18d1t1

— Special Investigating Unit (SIU) (@RSASIU) February 23, 2026

“The investigation reveals clear links between visa approvals and bribe payments, with funds moving within days of permits being issued.

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“Officials allegedly used spouses’ bank accounts and third-party intermediaries to launder illicit proceeds. Shockingly, four officials earning less than R25 000 per month reportedly received more than R16 million in unexplained deposits,” she expressed.

Ngobeni highlighted that serious border management failures further enabled individuals who had overstayed or departed unlawfully to re-enter South Africa without proper records.

Urgent demands for lawful immigration overhaul

She added, “The Finance Minister, not just frontline officials, must be held accountable for the Border Management Authority’s failure to meet its mandate due to insufficient resource allocation.

“We demand immediate arrests, asset freezes, and stronger consequences within Home Affairs due to implicated individuals, asserting South Africans deserve a sovereign, economic, and lawful immigration system.”