The African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) is calling on President Cyril Ramaphosa to address corruption within the Department of Home Affairs, particularly identity theft cases, stating that it undermines the integrity of the country’s administrative systems and threaten the security of citizens.
This comes after the conviction of a former Home Affairs adjudicator, Phanuel Mokomo, who was found guilty of corruption by the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Court, on Wednesday.
Mokomo offered an internal investigator a R10,000 bribe to stop him from conducting a probe into his corrupt activities.
Gauteng Hawks spokesperson, Colonel Katlego Mogale said Mokomo was under an internal investigation by the department for irregular issuance and approval of permits.
After offering the bribe, the matter was brought to the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) also known as the Hawks in September 2018.
In a separate incident this month, Home Affairs dismissed 18 officials with immediate effect, for offences including fraud, corruption, sexual harassment, irregular granting of Identity Documents (IDs), and irregular processing of birth certificates and passports.
Another four officials were issued with final written warnings and another two officials received written warnings without pay for three months.
ANCYL secretary-general Mntuwoxolo Ngudle expressed deep concerns about the persistent corruption within the department, which he said undermines integrity of the administrative systems and the security of South African citizens.
“The unlawful manipulation of our identity system undermines the rights of our people, enabling illegal activities such as fraudulent access to social services, financial crimes, and even human trafficking,” Ngudle.
“These acts not only rob South Africans of their rightful identities but also erode public trust in the state’s ability to safeguard its citizens,” he said.
Even though he lauded law enforcement’s efforts to expose corruption within the department, Ngudle said more robust measures are urgently required.
Ngudle outlined several demands to address corruption with Home Affairs, including that the department should publicly disclose the extent of corruption networks and the steps being taken to address them.
He said they also want auditing systems and monitoring technologies to be implemented to detect and prevent fraudulent activities.
“We demand accountability on the perpetrators, including public officials involved in these crimes, and must face the full force of the law. This includes criminal prosecution and dismissal from public service,” Ngudle said.
He said the department should conduct public education campaigns to educate South Africans on how to protect themselves against identity theft and to report suspected fraud.
The department must enhance identification and verification systems to ensure that the integrity of South African identity documents is not compromised, he said.
Ngudle also called for swift action of unresolved cases of identity theft, stating that they can cause victims to suffer from depression, anxiety, and financial instability.
“The Department of Home Affairs must urgently address these cases to prevent further harm to those affected,” he said.
Ngudle reiterated the ANCYL’s stance that corruption is a betrayal of public trust and stressed the urgent need to protect the future.
“The youth of South Africa refuse to inherit a nation crippled by administrative failures and criminal networks,” he added.
The ANCYL called on Ramaphosa to prioritise and take decisive action on the issue.
“We firmly believe that the President will heed the calls of the ANCYL, as he has done on critical matters in the past, and act in the best interest of South Africans,” the youth league said.
Politics
