South African authorities investigating fraudulent visa and permit issuance within the country’s immigration system and foreign missions have uncovered several cases of irregularities, including at the South African High Commission in Ghana.
According to a report submitted to the Portfolio Committee on the Department of Home Affairs in the South African Parliament, investigations revealed widespread fraudulent permit and visa issuance both in South Africa and in missions abroad. One official at the South African High Commission in Ghana has been suspended, while two officials at the China mission have also been suspended.
The report, prepared in June and presented in August 2023, stated that in the Ghana case, the suspended official has been charged and is currently undergoing a disciplinary hearing. The matter has been referred to the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), also known as the Hawks, an independent directorate within the South African Police Service that investigates organized crime, commercial crime, and corruption.
In China, two officials were suspended on June 6, 2023, for irregular visa issuance. Their foreign deployments have since been terminated, and disciplinary proceedings began on August 8, 2023.
The Multi-disciplinary Task Team (MDTT), which is leading the investigation, discovered that about 45,000 fraudulent visas were issued between 2014 and June 2021. These included residence, work, study, and retirement permits, among others.
Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi told the South African media that fraudulent activities at foreign missions included the issuance of retirement visas to individuals as young as 25 years old and questionable study visas.
The report to Parliament further revealed that 36,647 foreign nationals submitted falsified documentation in their applications, out of which 880 were approved. Another 4,160 individuals linked to these fraudulent applications were later successful in new applications.
Cassius Lubisi, the former Director-General in the Presidency and chair of the MDTT, said that the misuse of retirement visas was particularly concerning, as many applicants below the age of 55 used such permits as a gateway to later apply for work visas or citizenship. In 2018, 65% of approved retirement visas were for applicants aged 55 or younger, with some under 25.
The investigation also found that naturalisation had been granted in some cases before the legal five-year permanent residency requirement was met. About 61 South African diplomatic officials have been identified for disciplinary action, with 11 already undergoing hearings.
In July 2019, South Africa announced a visa-free regime with several countries, including Ghana. The agreement, which takes effect on November 1, 2023, allows citizens of both countries to visit each other for up to 90 days a year without a visa. However, many Ghanaian applicants have recently reported long delays and unexplained denials from the South African High Commission in Accra.
Applicants claim they have been waiting beyond the six-to-ten-day processing period, with some receiving their passports back without visas or explanations. The third-party processing company, VFS, and the South African mission have continued to charge their usual processing fees.
Ghana Business News contacted South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs for comment. An official promised a response, but none had been received at the time of publication.
