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Home affairs arrests 3 more over Bothaville passport fraud

Published

The arrests bring home affairs corruption arrests since July 2024 to 44, the department said on Thursday. It has also dismissed 98 officials. The suspects include two former officials and a member of the public.

The three suspects are accused of passport fraud at the Bothaville home affairs office in the Free State in 2023. Home affairs said 10 passport applications were processed fraudulently. The Counter Corruption Unit investigated the case with the Hawks.

The department said the fraud used weaknesses in outdated systems. Photographs were swapped to obtain South African passports. Home affairs said it has introduced biometric verification to close these loopholes.

The suspects appeared in the Bothaville magistrate's court on Monday. The case was postponed to 20 January 2027.

Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber said: "Our approach is twofold: pursuing corruption without fear or favour, while using technology to eliminate opportunities for corruption in the first place,"

Key facts

Who
Leon Schreiber (Home affairs minister); Department of Home Affairs (government department that announced the arrests); Counter Corruption Unit (home affairs unit that investigated with the Hawks); Hawks (investigating unit that worked with the Counter Corruption Unit)
What
Home affairs announced on Thursday that three more people, including two former officials and a member of the public, were arrested over passport fraud at Bothaville in the Free State in 2023, bringing corruption arrests since July 2024 to 44. The suspects appeared in the Bothaville magistrate's court on Monday and the case was postponed to January 20 2027.
When
29 October 2026
Where
Bothaville, Free State
Status
Reported

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