A former Home Affairs official, Judith Salome Zuma, has been sentenced to 35 years in prison after being convicted for her role in a large-scale fraudulent passport scheme. The sentencing took place in the Durban Specialised Commercial Crimes Court in KwaZulu-Natal.
Zuma faced multiple charges, including corruption, fraud, and violations of the Identification Act and the Immigration Act. According to Colonel Philani Nkwalase, spokesperson for the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks), Zuma was arrested on December 13, 2021.
The Hawks’ investigation, in collaboration with the Department of Home Affairs, revealed that Zuma was involved in a criminal network operating outside her jurisdiction at the Richards Bay Home Affairs office. She exploited vulnerable South Africans, offering payments ranging from R300 to R500 in exchange for fingerprints that were used to obtain illegal passports for foreign nationals. The fraudulent activities took place at the Durban Home Affairs office on Commercial Street, conducted at night, weekends, and public holidays.
Further investigation uncovered that Zuma received R4,000 for each illegal passport issued, accumulating a total of R768,000 from 192 fake passports. She also pleaded guilty to 1,159 charges, including a R10,000 bribery charge aimed at influencing another Home Affairs official to end an investigation against her.
Zuma was sentenced to 10 years in prison for 192 counts of fraud, six years for three counts of corruption, and another 10 years for accepting gratification on 192 occasions. She received additional sentences of five years for violating the Identification Act on 385 counts and four years for 386 violations of the Immigration Act. Her effective sentence will be 12 years.
Lieutenant General Godfrey Lebeya, the national head of the Hawks, praised the collaborative efforts of the Hawks, the Department of Home Affairs, and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA). He emphasized that this sentence highlights the government’s firm stance against corruption and fraudulent activities.
“This sentence serves as a strong message to those who attempt to unlawfully facilitate the influx of foreign nationals into our country,” Lebeya stated.