Durban – Judy Zuma, a former Home Affairs official, has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for her role in a large-scale fraudulent passport scheme that assisted foreign nationals in obtaining South African passports. Zuma, 47, was convicted on several charges, including corruption, fraud, and violations of the Immigration and Identification Acts.
The investigation, led by the National Hawks Anti-Corruption Unit, uncovered Zuma’s involvement with a syndicate that facilitated the illegal issuance of passports for foreign nationals from countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The syndicate used South African citizens’ identity documents and biometric data, swapping the photos to falsely represent foreign nationals as South African citizens. Zuma received R4,000 for each passport processed and issued 192 fake passports, totaling over R700,000 in illicit earnings.
Zuma initially rejected involvement in the fraudulent operation, despite assurances that the records would be deleted after processing. However, she later succumbed to pressure and participated in issuing the fraudulent documents between May and June 2021.
In court, Zuma’s defense lawyer, Ben Dlamini, argued for leniency, citing her remorse and the fact that she had already faced consequences, including losing her job. Dlamini pointed out that Zuma was not the mastermind of the operation.
However, Senior State Advocate Abbey Letsholo emphasized the gravity of Zuma’s actions, as her role in issuing fraudulent passports directly conflicted with her duty to safeguard the integrity of South Africa’s national register. Letsholo argued that a severe sentence was necessary to deter similar crimes within the department.
Magistrate Garth Davis described Zuma’s actions as morally reprehensible and deeply damaging to the integrity of South African passports. While not the syndicate leader, Zuma played a pivotal role in the fraudulent operation. Davis also noted a troubling culture of corruption within the department, with many officials, from senior management to outsourced security personnel, either complicit or turning a blind eye to the scheme.
Following the sentence, Cyril Mncwabe, the Provincial Home Affairs Manager, expressed hope that the ruling would serve as a deterrent to other potential offenders. He also welcomed the court’s decision to red-flag and cancel all fraudulent passports, which pose a serious threat to the country’s security.
While Mncwabe acknowledged that corruption remains a challenge within the department, he stressed that it had not yet reached the point of being “captured,” as suggested by the magistrate. He believes corruption levels have decreased over the years, despite ongoing cases of misconduct.