Minister of Home Affairs vows to investigate flaws allowing crocodiles into the country with fraudulent documents
Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi says the days of “crocodiles” lingering in the country with fraudulent documents are numbered as his department vows to work hand in hand with specialist investigative authorities.
The minister made the comments during a briefing in Pretoria earlier today, where he clarified reports of the negative impact on the tourism sector following the leak of an internal communication circular released by his department last year.
He also addressed reports of a looming court challenge by suspended North West Development Corporation CFO Kuda Mpofu, as reported by “Sunday World” on March 10, in what he described as an “a national embarrassment”.
On tourism, Motsoaledi stressed that despite his best efforts to explain on two separate occasions in Parliament regarding the circular issued by his department on December 21, 2023, there remained some backlash from the tourism industry about the negative impact this communique had on the sector.
He said the internal circular directed to the commissioner of the Border Management Authority (BMA), managers of ports of entries, the provincial inspectorate and visa facilitation centres was not even necessary as it was already law and nothing new.
“I conceded it was an unfortunate circular which should not have been issued ... matters it was trying to clarify could have easily been addressed in the normal course operations between the two entities.
“The concept of declaring people undesirable, the word is perhaps unfortunate as it sounds scary but it is the term used by the Immigration Act of 2002 enacted in Parliament and it appears in the Immigration Act 30 of 2002 as well.”
Given that his department understood that there could be delays with exiting the country within the allocated days, Motsoaledi said the receipt issued to tourists upon applying for an extension would act as an extension of their visa until such

time they had received a response from the department.
“This means no law enforcement officer, immigration or officials at the ports of entry may trouble you while you are carrying this type of receipt.”
Motsoaledi also highlighted reports of Mpofu, who was allegedly fighting tooth and nail to stop the Department of Home Affairs from deporting him to Zimbabwe.
The minister said it was an embarrassment that Mpofu had not only obtained fraudulent documents but also managed to obtain employment within an entity dealing with public funds.
As for the court challenge, he said his department could confirm that the permit reference number appearing on Mpofu’s documents did not exist in their systems. In addition, the control number appearing on his document was not issued by the department to him but rather legitimately issued to another individual.
“As to how Mpofu came across that control number we do not know. It is a matter that will be investigated later.”
This challenge by Mpofu has however raised in a number of questions about the work of the department in responding to court challenges. Also, how these discrepancies came about. For this reason the minister said the case had been handed over to the Special Investigative Unit (SIU).
“When we were accused of doing nothing about the people crossing our borders, I told the country that people want us to chase lizards while crocodiles are abundant.
“Crocodiles are respectable people who enter the country legally wearing suits or high heels carrying briefcases full of cash to bribe officials to legalise their stay in the country.
“We have reason to believe that crocodiles are found all over the country in very high positions. I want to report today that their days are numbered because we are not going to take this issue lying down and the SIU will be very active,” Motsoaledi stressed. V.5245

Australia’s plan to cap the number of new international students to 270,000 starting in 2025 has sparked widespread concern within the education sector. However, the proposal, which still needs parliamentary approval, is unlikely to have a significant impact on students from African countries planning to study in Australia. The National Planning Level (NPL) for 2025, which includes the limit on the number of international student enrolments, aims to reduce overall migration to pre-pandemic levels. V.5595
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Bethuel Ngobeni, Dumisa Moyo, Nhlanhla Magwaca, Moseki Sechele, Thabo Sechele and Khudzai Mashaya appear in court to face illicit gold mining charges. Image: Thapelo Morebudi An investigation into illicit gold mining has uncovered how one of the accused obtained a fraudulent identity document, 12 years after arriving in SA. V.5594
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Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber said that plans were underway for the Department of Home Affairs to switch from working manually to digitally. CAPE TOWN - Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber said that long queues, off-line systems, and paper-based applications at department offices would soon be a thing of the past. Schreiber said that plans were underway for the Department of Home Affairs to switch from working manually to digitally. V.5588
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‘There are various pathways and provisions in the law that recognise that people should not be stateless, and we are failing to ensure that these people have papers,’ says Global Movement Against Statelessness’ Christy Chitengu. Christy Chitengu was born in South Africa and regards herself as a South African, despite her parents being Zimbabwean. V.5589
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Inspection at workplaces set to increase Newly appointed home affairs minister Leon Schreiber will increase inspections at restaurants, spaza shops, farms and mines to heighten the crackdown on undocumented workers in these industries. Schreiber said while SA welcomes those who contribute to the country legally through skills, investments and as tourists, it needed to do more to combat illegal immigration. V.5592
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CAPE TOWN - Minister of Home Affairs Leon Schreiber says since March, his department already reported 109 cases of document fraud to its counter corruption unit. Three officials have been convicted and sentenced during this same period. V.5593
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Key Takeaways • As of August 28, Canada has banned temporary residents on visitor visas from applying for work permits within the country. • The policy`s early termination is part of IRCC`s efforts to manage the influx of temporary residents and combat immigration fraud. • Starting September 26, 2024, Canada will cut the number of temporary foreign workers by about 65,000. Canada has recently launched a new policy that prohibits temporary residents on visitor visas from applying for work permits within the country, a decision that significantly impacts their ability to work and stay in Canada. V.5583
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The United Kingdom has long been a favoured destination for South Africans seeking work or residency, thanks to shared language, time zones, and historical ties. However, according to JP Breytenbach from Breytenbachs Immigration Consultants, the profile of South African migrants is changing. “There is a significant increase in business migration, with companies aiming to expand into the UK as a gateway to Europe or the US,” he shared in an interview with Biznews. Many of these South Africans businesses feel they have reached a ceiling in their local markets or are tech entrepreneurs who believe their products are not yet viable in South Africa. This year, new UK immigration rules are set to take effect as the country seeks to limit net migration. V.5584
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Applicants who prefer hard copies of ZEP waiver letters will still be able to collect them at branches. Leon Schreiber, Minister of Home Affairs, during the swearing-in ceremony of the new national executive members at Cape Town International Convention Centre on 3 July, 2024 in Cape Town. Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber has announced that the first batch of Zimbabwean Exemption Permit (ZEP) waiver applications has been processed. ZEP holders will no longer need to go to Home Affairs branches to find out the outcome of their applications. The department will be sending them out digitally. V.5585
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