South Africa Tightens Immigration Controls After CFO Fraud Incident
Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has taken action against corruption within his department, launching a crackdown on fraudulent visa and permit processes. This move comes in response to two major incidents: the employment of a CFO with a fake residence permit and the discovery of irregular visa applications by Chinese nationals.
The minister's strategy includes involving the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) to investigate these breaches and establishing a task force to address and prevent future irregularities.
A Zimbabwean national fraudulently became CFO at the North West Development Corporation with a bogus permit, revealing serious immigration system weaknesses. Home Affairs' delayed response and the North West Development Corporation HR's failure to check credentials led Minister Motsoaledi to initiate a thorough SIU investigation. Concurrently, irregularities in over 3,000 visa applications from Chinese nationals, involving shared addresses and vacant lots, pointed to potential system abuse, underscoring the urgent need for stricter verification protocols.