Home affairs minister vows to fight ‘corrupt’ individuals to tighten immigration limits

Source: The South African, 03/06/2017

Hlengiwe Mkhize has promised to fight the corruption within the
immigration authorities, so South Africa can firmly control who they
decide to let into the country
Minister highlights how undermined she has been by her own department
Mkhize admitted it was “depressing” to find out just how many
officials were involved in accepting bribes and bending the rules to
let undocumented foreigners in. She was dismayed to learn of
‘syndicates’ run by Home Affairs officials which bypass the
regulations to sneak people into SA with fraudulent papers.
“It’s almost like it’s systematic, something which has got roots now
in each and every corner. When you ask, ‘But how did it happen? Where
was the priest?’ They have priests who collude; they have police who
collude and some of our officials who collude, and citizens who also
collude” said Mkhize.
Alarmingly, 85 employees of the Home Affairs department have been
arrested for their involvement in these syndicates, as have a further
81 members of the public â€" ALL since 2015.
In Mkhize’s eyes, it isn’t just corrupt individuals who are
responsible for the influx of illegal immigrants; she has singled out
entire industries â€" particularly service and security â€" for being
complicit in hiring them, knowing that they have no legal right to
work here.
The minister had previously backed visa-free travel for all Africans
across the continent, but now believes South Africa has become too
“socially unstable” to manage this policy:
“If we do not manage the process of free movement within the
continent, we could end up with a crisis,” she said. “Remember our
triple challenge [unemployment, poverty, and inequality] is real and
we know from other parts of the world that that’s what triggers a
revolution.”
Mkhize supports the creation of a single authority that ensures legal
travel across South Africa’s borders. Made up of police, SARS, customs
and home affairs, this new department would solely be responsible for
clamping down on undocumented travellers entering SA illegally.
Parliament did not approve of this when it was presented to them in
2015, but it may come back under consideration in an attempt to stop
the collusion within Home Affairs