An official was arrested for alleged corruption in a sting operation at the Springs home affairs office on Wednesday, the department said.
Spokesperson Cleo Mosana said the joint raid by police and the department followed an investigation that began in February this year after two Cameroon nationals were allegedly duped into paying bribes for permanent residence permits.
The Cameroon nationals applied for permits at the Home Affairs office on Harrison Street in central Johannesburg.
They were told to go to Yeoville to meet an ”agent”, who would process their applications.
The ”agent” told them they needed to pay R8 000 for the permits.
Mosana said they gave the ”agent” R3 500, before they were sent to Springs to meet a home affairs official.
The official was allegedly given the bribe money, but after that the Cameroonians could not get hold of her.
When they eventually tracked her down, she told them she could not process their applications until they had paid the outstanding balance of the R8 000.
The men paid the balance, but the official wanted more money.
”They went back to the agent and found that he was trying to run away, seemingly he had packed up and [was] ready to go,” Mosana said.
The Cameroonian nationals became suspicious and reported the matter to police.
Mosana said the police convinced the men to play along and give the official the money she was requesting.
The men gave the official R2 400, which was allegedly found inside her bag during the raid. Police also allegedly found separate amounts of R1 500, R850 and R400 in her bag. — Sapa