“Where Are Her Accomplices?”: SA Reacts to Home Affairs Official Jailed for R768k Passport Fraud

• A local news outlet has reported on a corrupt former Home Affairs official who has been sentenced to an effective 12 years in prison following a passport fraud scandal
• The Durban court handed down the sentence after a sting operation caught her trying to bribe an anti-corruption officer to stop an active investigation into her syndicate
• The woman pleaded guilty to over 1,000 charges for processing 192 illegal passports for non-qualifying foreign nationals, pocketing hundreds of thousands in illicit cash

A former Department of Home Affairs official has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for her role in a corrupt passport fraud scheme that facilitated the issuance of 192 illegal passports, compromising Mzansi's national security, and resulting in stashed profits of nearly R800,000. The post shared on Facebook by Frontline News on 14 May detailed that Judith Salome was sentenced at the Durban Specialised Commercial Crime Court.

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The criminal network fell apart after an investigation exposed how Judith used her position to traffic official South African identities to foreign nationals. Between May and June 2021, Judith allegedly processed 192 fraudulent passports at the Durban Department of Home Affairs office on Commercial Street.

How the Home Affairs ex-employee operated her illegal scheme

The operation targeted citizens from countries such as Pakistan, Bangladesh, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), who did not qualify for documentation. Facebook account Frontline News details that Judith’s method involved exploiting vulnerable South African citizens. She allegedly lured them with small cash payments ranging from R300 to R500 to steal their biometric fingerprints and ID details. She then substituted the photos of the rightful citizens with images of foreign buyers. Charging roughly R4,000 per document, she allegedly made an illicit fortune between R760,000 and R768,000.

Sting operation brings down corrupt Home Affairs official

Judith's lucrative criminal enterprise came to an abrupt halt when Home Affairs counter-corruption structures caught on to her illegal patterns. Realising that investigators were closing in on her, Judith offered R10,000 as a bribe to an internal anti-corruption official to squash the docket.

Watch the Facebook reel below:

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Mzansi discusses the 12-year sentence

The post sparked a wave of engagement online, with many shocked viewers taking to the comment section to voice their concerns over the country’s border security. A large number of viewers argued that the 12-year prison sentence handed down to Judith was too lenient. They argued that the massive scale of institutional damage and the potential threat she posed because of personal greed deserved at least 12 years for each passport created.

User @Bhuti Cindi shared:

"Where are her accomplices because surely she was not alone."

User @Faustin Mkeyo commented:

"I always say that no foreigner can achieve anything without the help of a South African. From the moment they inter South Africa they are helped by South Africans to everything they do they are helped by South Africans.

User @Andre Ochse said:

"There are hundreds like her, maybe even thousands!"

User @Edith MamaLweli asked:

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"Can't those documents be revoked?"

User @Buhle Mthembu said:

"It should be 12 years for each passport."

User @Portia Zanele added:

"We want the list of the people so we can collect the passport back."

3 Briefly News articles about foreign nationals

• A Ghanaian repatriate sparked intense online debate after showcasing severe physical scars he claims to have sustained during immigration protests in Mzansi.
• A Nigerian man went viral for rejecting xenophobic labels, arguing that South Africans' anger stems from illegal activities performed by some immigrants, rather than personal hate.
• A UK content creator shared the news that 63 South African nationals had been transported from Dublin Airport on a charter flight that brought them home.

Source: Briefly News