Minister of Home Affairs Leon Schreiber says the government is committed to eradicating corruption within its immigration and border management systems.
Schriber outlined South Africa's strong stance on combating corruption within the country's border management and immigration sectors.
The speech, delivered at the launch of the Border Management and Immigration Anti-Corruption Forum on Tuesday, highlighted both the successes achieved so far and the ongoing commitment to systemic reform aimed at eradicating corruption in the sector..
Schreiber noted that corruption has infiltrated many aspects of South African society, particularly in the wake of the state capture era, where corrupt practices seeped into the highest levels of government.
"Corruption is a scourge that has spread its tentacles into every facet of our society," Schreiber said.
He further emphasised the risk of a "syndicate society," where criminal syndicates operate within government systems to exploit services for personal gain. He pointed out that these syndicates have even infiltrated critical government sectors like immigration, where they extort and defraud both South Africans and immigrants.
While state capture remains a significant challenge, the corruption that continues today is no less damaging, said Schreiber.
"The biggest risk we face today is of becoming a syndicate society," he said.
In such a society, access to services is controlled not by the state but by embedded criminal networks.
"Once the top echelons of the political establishment were seen to endorse the corruption of the very highest institutions of state, a message cascaded throughout society that extortion, fraud and theft has just become 'how we do things now' in South Africa," he said.
He also stressed the dangers of a society where criminal organisations merge with government processes, controlling everything from job allocations to procurement decisions.
The Minister expressed pride in the strides made to dismantle these corrupt networks.
In collaboration with law enforcement agencies like the Special Investigating Unit (SIU), the Department of Home Affairs, and the Border Management Authority (BMA), there have been significant efforts to hold officials accountable.
"Between July 2024 and February 2025, 27 officials have been dismissed from the department of Home Affairs for a range of offences, including fraud, corruption, and sexual misconduct," Schreiber said.
Additionally, 19 officials are under criminal prosecution, with convictions already secured in high-profile cases.
However, the government's strategy goes beyond just removing corrupt individuals. Schriber underlined the importance of systemic reform, particularly through digital transformation.
"Our digital transformation vision will systematically close those gaps," he said. The introduction of Electronic Travel Authorisations, the phased-out green ID book, and automation at South Africa's ports of entry represent significant steps toward reducing human discretion and preventing corruption.
As the government continues to modernise and digitise, Schriber made it clear that these technological advancements will make it nearly impossible for corrupt practices to continue.
"No more bribing an immigration officer to manipulate an outcome, or to gain entry to our country illegally. Because you cannot bribe a computer and an electronic gate," he said.
Schreiber also celebrated the success of the Multi-Disciplinary Task Team (MDTT), which set a precedent in the Labour Court, allowing the appointment of external chairpersons for disciplinary hearings, creating a new pathway to impartial disciplinary processes.
Schreiber stressed that defeating corruption requires not only punishing those involved but also overhauling systems to eliminate the loopholes they exploit.
"What we require is an approach that tackles the problem at its root by enforcing accountability for corruption and simultaneously reforming the system itself," he said.
Schreiber highlighted how technology is crucial in modernising systems to prevent fraud.
"Paper visas are being replaced by an Electronic Travel Authorisation featuring Artificial Intelligence and machine learning-based adjudication," he said.
Schriber said the aim is to automate entry-and-exit at all ports of entry, with airports leading the way.
“As we speak, corrupt officials are being disciplined and fired. Prosecutions are following. And systemic change is underway.” He expressed optimism that South Africa’s bold actions in the border management sector will serve as a beacon of hope, demonstrating that corruption can be defeated, accountability enforced, and government systems modernised.
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