Johannesburg: Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber has announced that the Department of Home Affairs is making headway in curbing corruption.
According to South African Government News Agency, Schreiber highlighted that systemic weaknesses, particularly in document issuance such as visas and green bar-coded ID books, were exploited by syndicates who demanded bribes to provide documents to ineligible individuals. Speaking at the University of Johannesburg Combatting Corruption Summit, Schreiber described the department as a central point for State Capture, a project marked by widespread corruption.
Schreiber noted that corruption was not confined to Home Affairs alone. He indicated that similar patterns of collusion between government insiders and "tenderpreneurs" posing as private businesses were prevalent across the state. He emphasized that as South Africa transitioned into what he termed a "syndicate society," Home Affairs was not immune to these practices.
He further elaborated on the formation of syndicates wherever valuable services were offered. Schreiber recounted that one of his initial actions as Minister was revoking the citizenship of members of the Gupta family, signaling a shift under the Government of National Unity (GNU) to combat such corruption.
The Minister stressed that holding individuals accountable is a foundational step in eradicating corruption and State Capture from the Department of Home Affairs, as well as related entities like the Border Management Authority (BMA) and the Government Printing Works (GPW). Schreiber reported that 54 officials, including those from the BMA, have been dismissed between July 2024 and August 2025 for offenses such as fraud and misconduct.
While acknowledging the progress, Schreiber affirmed that efforts are ongoing. He underscored the significance of individual accountability, citing that eight officials have been convicted and sentenced to up to 18 years in prison, reinforcing that there will be consequences for those violating public trust.