Eighteen Home Affairs officials have been dismissed for a range of offences. This includes fraud, corruption and sexual harassment. Home Affairs Department spokesperson Siya Qoza says four other officials were issued with final written warnings.

Eighteen crooked Home Affairs officials fired

He says two of the written warnings carry a one- and three-month salary suspension. At the same time, another two officials were given written warnings. Qoza says the dismissals and disciplinary action concluded a process by the Department of mandated human resource and appeals processes.

Minister of Home Affairs, Dr Leon Schreiber

The Home Affairs Minister, Dr Leon Schreiber says the dismissals send an unambiguous message that the days where acts of fraud and corruption are committed with impunity against Home Affairs are over.

He added, “Dismissals and prosecutions are set to continue ramping up until we have squeezed crime and corruption out of the system.”

Qoza says the country is preparing to observe 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBV-F) from next Monday (25 November).

ADDITIONAL READING: Within three months, Home Affairs disciplines 31 errant officials and prosecutes two others – with more arrests on the way

He says Minister Schreiber has welcomed the Department’s stance on this important fight, as expressed through the speedy dismissal of an official for sexual harassment.

Reasons for the dismissals

The Department of Home Affairs, the Special Investigating Unit and the Hawks