SIU takes aim at border corruption
The Special Investigating Unit says an anti-corruption forum at the Maseru Border Post in the Free State aims to intensify the fight against immigration corruption at South Africa’s ports of entry.
The forum, chaired by the SIU, brings together several law enforcement agencies, including the Border Management Authority, to highlight the consequences of corruption.
SIU acting head Leonard Lekgetho says they have made progress in identifying immigration syndicates:
“There's a taxi that comes from Gauteng, comes to the border, who comes stamped. In the morning, it goes back. And that one also, we are just going to wait until we take action.
“And the other one, people buy more days. And also, searches are not conducted when the goods get into the border.”
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BMA Commissioner Michael Masiapato, meanwhile, gave an assurance that decisive action is already being taken against those who abuse their positions.
“Fifty immigration officers who were performing duties at ports of entry have already been dismissed. At this moment, another 38 officials are undergoing disciplinary processes after being implicated in corrupt activities, and most of them are likely to be dismissed.
“If you are not part of the fifty who have already lost their jobs or the 38 currently facing disciplinary action, make sure you never become part of that statistic,” he warned.
