PRETORIA, Gauteng — A sophisticated Home Affairs syndicate has been selling fake documents to foreign nationals as if operating an open marketplace, according to a stark revelation by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU). SIU spokesperson Selby Makgotho detailed the extensive corruption network, which has deeply compromised the national visa system and higher education institutions across the country.
During a recent presentation to the portfolio committee on higher education, the SIU provided an update on its ongoing investigation into the Department of Home Affairs, alongside its broader probe into universities and colleges. Makgotho explained that the syndicate has been operating since approximately 2013, with the current SIU proclamation specifically examining activities between 2017 and 2025.
What began as isolated incidents has evolved into a well-orchestrated, well-oiled syndicate. The scheme systematically targeted academics and employees across approximately 26 universities and other higher learning institutions. Highlighting a case study of about 76 specific cases, Makgotho noted that the operation grew from one or two individuals into a highly coordinated network with Home Affairs officials directly implicated. This trend mirrors previous systemic abuses, such as the manipulation of the visa system to establish charismatic churches with massive followings, but has now severely manifested within the higher education sector.
The syndicate facilitated the distribution of fake student visas, retirement visas, and work permits, causing the state to lose almost a billion rand. Investigators have already identified 16 million rand in direct bank deposits linked to entry-level officials who orchestrated and solidified the scheme.
Despite the scale of the corruption, Makgotho clarified that, up to this point, there is no evidence pointing to wrongdoing by any top-level office bearer or accounting authority. Instead, the investigation observed a pattern where officials deliberately bend rules to remain just below specific financial delegation thresholds, such as those held by a deputy director general, to authorize suspicious payments without triggering higher-level scrutiny.
The financial and administrative toll on institutions is severe. In one documented instance at the University of Water, an official was regularly appointed to oversee the allocation of funds for logistics, security services, and catering. This mismanagement has left the university with an unrecognized debt of approximately 5.2 million rand. Furthermore, institutions are consistently battling the over-inflation of student accommodation costs and fictitious invoices. In a recent example, an accommodation provider was caught overcharging by a cumulative 3.3 million rand over a specific period, only acknowledging the debt after being confronted.
To combat this endemic issue, the SIU has submitted strong recommendations for a synergized, integrated, and coordinated system between the Department of Home Affairs, the higher education sector, and the Department of Labour and Employment. Currently, individuals can move undetected and unmonitored from one university to another. A unified system would detect these movements and minimize corruption risks.
Additionally, the SIU has recommended disciplinary action against identified officials for failing to perform due diligence. Makgotho emphasized the need to widen the SIU’s proclamation to investigate problems at their inception, specifically at the recruitment level, to ensure proper criteria are applied and to prevent unsuitable candidates from entering the system.
While whistleblowers approach the SIU daily with allegations of wrongdoing regarding academic and staff appointments, the unit currently lacks the legal authority to investigate these specific human resources matters. Makgotho stressed that resolving these vulnerabilities requires more than just system overrides; it demands ethical leadership, good governance, and proper accountability.
The SIU expects the overall investigation outcome to be finalized and ready by the end of September.
