Home Affairs official arrested for fraud and corruption
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A thorough investigation by the Hawks in Mpumalanga saw a Home Affairs official getting arrested convicted by the White River Magistrate Court on Wednesday, 11 October 2023, for corruption.
The 40 years old Nhlanhla Mathebula had been colluding with some South African citizens to use their details to create identity documents for foreign nationals.
He was processing fraudulent passports for foreign nationals from Pakistan and Bangladesh using South African citizens’ identity documents in exchange for gratification.
The investigations led to the arrest of Faud Mohammed Ali (37), Christopher Marillier (39), Gabriel Samuel van der Merwe (33), and Sifiso Kheswa (31) linked to the case.
They were each sentenced to R100 000 fine or three years imprisonment on charges relating to contravention of Immigration Act. They further received R40 000 fine or 12 months imprisonment each while Mathebula was denied bail and remained in custody until his sentencing.
He was later on sentenced for count 1 to count 12 corruption, he was sentenced to 10 years direct imprisonment . Count 13 to count 24. Contravention of Section 49 of Immigration Act: He was sentenced to 3 years direct imprisonment in terms of Section 280(2) of Criminal Procedure Act (CPA) 51 of 1977. Sentence imposed on count 13 to 24 to run concurrently with count 1 to 12.
Confiscation order was also granted against the accused in terms of Section 18 of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act (POCA). He has to pay an amount of R94 600.00, which he benefited as gratification for processing the fraudulent passports.
