The home affairs department is intensifying its internal clean-up campaign with 38 officials dismissed for misconduct and corruption in the past 12 months.
Home affairs minister Leon Schreiber announced this week that five more officials were dismissed with immediate effect on Monday, their offences ranging from fraud to sexual assault.
In 12 months we have rid home affairs of 38 crooked and delinquent officials. I repeat my warning to anyone involved in corruption: the days of defrauding this department or committing acts of sexual harassment or abuse while relying on long drawn-out disciplinary processes, are over, said Schreiber.
According to the department, the crackdown is not limited to internal disciplinary action as eight of the 38 officials dismissed have been convicted and sentenced to prison terms of between four and 18 years. A further 19 are now facing criminal prosecution.
The latest dismissals come on the heels of a high-profile bust of a passport syndicate in Durban last month in which two home affairs officials and three members of the public were arrested.