Minister of Home Affairs Dr Leon Schreiber says 39 BMA officials have been dismissed for corruption-related offences, with 10 cases referred for criminal prosecution in ongoing action against misconduct at ports of entry.
Image: Ntswe Mokoena / GCIS
Minister of Home Affairs Dr Leon Schreiber says 10 Border Management Authority (BMA) officials have been referred for criminal prosecution after 39 officials were dismissed for corruption-related offences linked to immigration functions.
IOL previously reported that BMA Commissioner, Dr Michael Masiapato said more than 50 officials have been dismissed over corrupt activities at ports of entry, including allegations of facilitating illegal entry, working with “facilitators,” and selling visa extension days to foreign nationals.
Schreiber was responding to a parliamentary question from MK Party Member of Parliament (MP) Adil Nchabeleng, who asked how many officials in the department and the BMA had been implicated in corruption over the past five years.
He also asked how many cases had resulted in criminal prosecution rather than internal disciplinary action, and what steps were being taken to prevent what he described as borders effectively operating as a “pay-to-enter system”.
In his written reply, Schreiber outlined the extent of disciplinary action taken since the establishment of the BMA and the transfer of border law enforcement functions from other departments in 2023.
“Border law enforcement functions and their associated resources, including personnel, were transferred from four policy Departments, i.e. Departments of Agriculture; Home Affairs; Health; and Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment to the BMA on 1 April 2023,'' he said.
“From 1 April 2023 to 10 March 2026, the total number of employees dismissed due to corruption-related offences is 39. Of the 39, 37 of them were officials responsible for immigration related functions.”
Schreiber further confirmed that some of the cases had been escalated for criminal action.
He stated: “Of the 39 dismissed, 10 of the officials were referred for criminal prosecution.”
On measures to combat corruption at ports of entry, the minister said the BMA had adopted a zero-tolerance approach and introduced several interventions aimed at strengthening oversight and accountability.
“The BMA has adopted a zero-tolerance approach to corruption and bribery at ports of entry,” he said.
He added that one of the key interventions was the establishment of the Border Management and Immigration Anti-Corruption Forum (BMIACF), which aims to address systemic corruption and improve integrity within the immigration system.
“The objective of establishing BMIACF is to address systemic corruption and illicit activities at the ports of entry and to enhance the integrity of the immigration system,” Schriber said.
He further listed additional measures, including security vetting, awareness campaigns, anonymous reporting systems, and surveillance tools.
These include “conducting comprehensive security vetting of all personnel through the State Security Agency in line with Section 13(3) of the BMA Act.”
They also include “convening anti-corruption awareness campaigns across its regions to promote integrity at ports of entry and educate officials on the consequences of misconduct.”
Other measures are “the introduction of anonymous reporting platforms,” as well as “the use of body worn cameras at ports of entry to enhance accountability and deter corruption,'' he said.
hope.ntanzi@iol.co.za
IOL News