BOTHAVILLE, Friday 30 October 2026 — Two former Department of Home Affairs officials and a member of the public have been arrested in connection with an alleged passport fraud scheme at the department’s Bothaville office in the Free State.
The arrests bring the department’s reported corruption-related arrest total since July 2024 to 44.
Ten passport applications investigated
The department said the investigation concerned the fraudulent processing of ten passport applications in 2023.
Investigators allege that weaknesses in older systems were exploited to substitute photographs during the passport application process.
The investigation was conducted by the department’s Counter Corruption Unit and the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, commonly known as the Hawks.
The three suspects appeared in the Bothaville Magistrate’s Court on 27 October.
Their case was postponed to 20 January 2027.
Department reports wider disciplinary action
Home Affairs said 98 officials had been dismissed since July 2024 as part of its anti-corruption measures.
Minister Leon Schreiber said the department was pursuing criminal accountability while introducing technology intended to reduce opportunities for fraudulent identity and travel documents.
The department said biometric verification had closed certain vulnerabilities exploited in earlier passport fraud schemes.
Prosecution remains pending
The latest arrests concern alleged conduct from 2023.
The suspects have not been convicted, and the allegations remain subject to criminal proceedings.
The case raises broader questions about document security, internal controls and the reliability of systems used to issue South African travel documents.
Further developments will depend on the prosecution and any additional findings by investigators.
