Leon Schreiber Warns Bribe Payers at Home Affairs as Arrests and Dismissals Mount in 2026
- Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber issued a direct warning to those paying bribes to bypass official procedures at the department
- Several officials faced arrest in 2026 for offences ranging from extortion at branch offices to accepting R600 at a border post
- The department has dismissed 114 officials over three financial years as part of an ongoing anti-corruption drive
Source: Facebook
SOUTH AFRICA — Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber has put members of the public on notice: paying for shortcuts at the department carries the same legal risk as the officials who accept those payments.
Schreiber's warning came as the department confirmed a series of arrests and dismissals carried out during 2026, signalling that its internal clean-up is producing tangible results. The minister stated that Home Affairs maintains a zero-tolerance position on corruption, combining staff dismissals with criminal prosecution for those found to have broken the law.
Home Affairs Officials Arrested Across Multiple Provinces
Among the cases confirmed in 2026, a senior immigration officer based in White River was arrested after allegedly demanding cash from a Mozambican citizen in exchange for returning withheld travel and identity documents. At the Maseru port of entry, a Border Management Authority official was apprehended after accepting a R600 bribe to unlawfully validate a Lesotho national's passport.
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A separate case involved a naturalised foreign national who was arrested after fraudulently claiming paternity for five foreign children with the intent of registering them on the National Population Register.
On the disciplinary side, seven officials were dismissed for misconduct in early 2026, bringing the total number of dismissals over the preceding three financial years to 114.
Syndicate Busts and Long Prison Terms
The 2026 enforcement actions form part of a longer-running strategy targeting organised document fraud. Since April 2023, the department has referred 212 official misconduct cases to law enforcement agencies.
A previous joint operation dismantled a passport fraud syndicate, resulting in the arrest of its ringleader along with 26 co-conspirators. Investigations spanning multiple provinces have since produced convictions, with implicated staff receiving prison sentences ranging from four to 18 years for offences that included selling birth certificates, issuing fraudulent death notices, and approving fake visas. Courts also ordered several of those convicted to repay the bribes they had collected.
Schreiber made clear that the pace of enforcement will continue to increase, and that anyone facilitating corruption at Home Affairs—whether as an employee or a member of the public seeking an illegal advantage—should expect legal consequences.
More on Home Affairs and immigration
- Briefly News recently reported on a former Miss South Africa finalist facing deportation again after her own arrest over immigration status.
- Home Affairs is expanding its Smart ID partnership with banks, with 500 more branches set to offer the service.
- South Africans were divided over new handheld devices Home Affairs wants to use to catch illegal foreigners in real time.
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Source: Briefly News
