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Cabinet has welcomed the conviction and sentencing of foreign nationals and former home affairs department officials found guilty of fraud and corruption involving passports, said the minister in the presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni.
During a media briefing on Thursday on the outcomes of a cabinet meeting, Ntshavheni, said the convictions had strengthened the government’s efforts to build an ethical, professional and capable state.
Last week, the Durban specialised commercial crimes court sentenced Judith Zuma to an effective 12 years for her involvement in a fraudulent passport scheme. She pleaded guilty to 192 counts of fraud and violations of the Identification Act 68 of 1997 and the Immigration Act 13 of 2002.
Two foreign nationals have been convicted and two more were sentenced to four years imprisonment, according to a department statement.
In October last year, a home affairs official, Zima Shange, who allegedly recruited Zuma to be part of the passport scheme, was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment, the home affairs department said in a statement.
Minister of Home Affairs Leon Schreiber said in a statement that Zuma was sentenced to an effective 12 years of direct imprisonment, with an additional 24 years suspended.
He added that she was initially arrested in a sting operation after attempting to bribe a home affairs counter-corruption officer with R10 000.
Zuma was convicted for multiple offences and was part of a syndicate used to deliver fraudulent passports to foreign nationals who did not qualify for the documents.
The court found that Zuma was paid R4 000 for each passport. She was found to have processed 192 passports from 28 May to 12 June 2021, pocketing a total of R768,000.
Schreiber said the arrests of corrupt officials linked to the syndicate have reinforced his commitment to backing the efforts of the department’s counter-corruption branch, adding that the successful convictions prove that the “cancer of corruption can be defeated”.
“I am repulsed by the actions of Zuma and other members of such syndicates, who cheapen our documents, threaten our security, and undermine the work done by committed Home Affairs officials.
“May she be haunted by her actions every day that she spends behind bars. Those of us who are committed to turning home affairs into a department that delivers dignity will not be deterred by corrupt criminals. Instead, we will put them behind bars where they belong,” Schreiber said.
The ANC parliamentary caucus on home affairs also welcomed Zuma’s sentencing.
“The issuing of fraudulent home affairs documents is a serious crime that compromises our national security. We emphasise that her arrest and conviction should serve as a deterrent to those who intend to issue fraudulent home affairs documents,” it said in a statement.
It called on home affairs officials who may be involved in crime syndicates that are issuing fraudulent documents to stop.
“We call on the department of home affairs and government to intensify the fight against corruption and malfeasance. We will ensure that, as representatives of the people of South Africa, crime and corruption are eliminated in the public and private sectors,” it said.