Hollywood actor Wesley Snipes is an ”undesirable person” and his fake South African passport has been confiscated, the Department of Home Affairs said on Wednesday.
Spokesperson Nkosana Sibuyi said Snipes slipped into the country undetected on May 23 through the Johannesburg International airport.
A discrepancy in his ID number was picked up by the system and immigration officers were put on alert.
”On June 1 Snipes was stopped by immigration officials and questioned,” Sibuyi said.
”During the interview it was established that he did in fact have fraudulent South African documentation in his possession.”
Sibuyi said that Snipes’ defence was that he had applied for South African documents for himself and his family through his American attorneys.
Snipes was allowed to leave the country, as he was in possession of a valid American passport and a plane ticket. This was in accordance with the Immigration Act, Sibuyi said.
”In 2004 the Minister of Home Affairs identified all persons in possession of fraudulent status documents as ‘undesirable persons’,” Sibuyi said.
”Therefore Mr Snipes is an undesirable person, and was handed a notice to this effect. He has also been placed on the Visa and Entry Stop List, meaning he will have to apply for a visa to enter South Africa from now on. – Sapa