Minister of Home Affairs, Dr Leon Schreiber, welcomed the 12 years imprisonment sentence imposed on former Home Affairs official, Judy Zuma, calling the sentence “a breakthrough in the fight against organised corruption.”
“The message sent by this conviction is crystal clear: if you engage in corruption, we will find you and we will pursue you until you are locked up. Under this new administration, we will not rest until we have cleansed the scourge of corruption from the face of Home Affairs,” Schreiber said.
“Yesterday’s sentence must inaugurate a new culture of zero-tolerance towards corruption. The fight against corruption in this department, as demonstrated by the serious nature of the issues raised in this case, is particularly urgent given that Home Affairs sits at the heart of our national security apparatus,” Schreiber added.
Zuma’s sentence translates into an effective 12 years of direct imprisonment, with an additional 24 years suspended. Zuma was originally arrested in a sting operation after she tried to bribe a Home Affairs Counter-Corruption Officer with R10 000.
Zuma, who was convicted for multiple offences, was part of a syndicate geared to deliver fraudulent passports for reward to foreign nationals who did not qualify for the documents. Zuma was found to have processed 192 passports between 28 May and 12 June 2021 for foreign nationals who did not qualify to have them. She was paid R4 000 for each passport. Zuma left the Department in December 2021, following an internal disciplinary process.
All the affected passports were red flagged, an alert which means any person who tries to use these fraudulent documents at any port of entry will be immediately arrested. Thus far, two foreign nationals have been arrested, and are serving time for their involvement. An additional two were sentenced to four years imprisonment on 2 August 2024.
In 2022, to improve the security of travel documents, the Department introduced a requirement for all passports to be activated through a fingerprint at the office of application. This allows passports to be used only after the owner has validated them with their own fingerprints.
Former Home Affairs official, Zima Shange, is alleged to have recruited Zuma into the scheme. Shange was sentenced to an effective 10 year imprisonment in October 2023.
Minister Schreiber noted the results of the crackdown, on both corrupt officials and foreign nationals, has been a success. He applauded the work of the Counter-Corruption Branch of the Department, adding their successful convictions “demonstrate that the cancer of corruption can be defeated.”
