Leon Schreiber says two more arrests have been made in joint anti-corruption operations involving the Department of Home Affairs and the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation.
The arrests form part of an ongoing crackdown targeting fraud and corruption within immigration and civic services.
Schreiber said the latest arrests bring the total number of Home Affairs-related corruption arrests this month to six.
According to the minister, the latest cases stem from two separate investigations, including one involving a senior immigration official accused of extorting a foreign national.
“The arrest relates to allegations that the official demanded payment before returning identity and travel documents belonging to a Mozambican national,” Schreiber said.
“The official was arrested during an authorised entrapment operation by the department.”
The minister added that since July 2024, a total of 63 officials linked to misconduct and corruption have been dismissed.
Earlier this month, two Home Affairs officials were arrested in separate sting operations.
One official was arrested in Pinetown over allegations linked to a fraudulent death registration and reportedly attempted to offer a R3,000 bribe.
In Secunda, another official and two civilians were arrested for allegedly issuing Smart ID cards to foreign nationals who did not qualify for them.
Schreiber said the department’s zero-tolerance approach to corruption was producing results through arrests, disciplinary action and strengthened accountability measures.
The latest developments follow findings by the Special Investigating Unit, which recently revealed widespread corruption within the country’s immigration system.
The SIU said permits and visas had effectively been treated as commodities, allegedly being sold and traded through organised criminal networks.
The findings emerged from an investigation into visa irregularities dating back to 2004.
According to the SIU, four Home Affairs officials earning salaries of less than R25,000 a month allegedly received a combined R16.3 million through illicit transactions tied to visa and permanent residence approvals.
Investigators said payments were concealed through spouses’ bank accounts, cash transactions and e-wallet transfers, while the officials allegedly acquired luxury properties and funded major construction projects inconsistent with their declared incomes.