Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber announced the cancellation of more than 2,000 fraudulently issued study visas following an SIU investigation that exposed a R181 million corruption scheme inside the department in which officials sold visas and permits to foreign nationals. Image: Supplied
The Special Investigating Unit exposed a coordinated R181 million corruption scheme inside the Department of Home Affairs. Officials sold visas and permits to foreign nationals. The Home Affairs study visa fraud investigation identified more than 2,000 study visas that internal syndicates issued fraudulently. Furthermore, Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber announced the cancellation of all those visas and promised deportation or prosecution for perpetrators. As a result, South Africa’s immigration system stands exposed as an open marketplace for those willing to pay bribes.
Acting SIU head Leonard Lekgetho presented an interim report to Parliament. It detailed how a coordinated network of Home Affairs officials and foreign nationals worked together to bypass immigration controls. Corrupt officials approved applications backed by fake acceptance letters and forged medical certificates. Furthermore, four officials each earning less than R25,000 per month collectively received R16.3 million in direct deposits. Those officials funnelled payments through their spouses’ bank accounts and electronic wallets to hide the bribes. As a result, junior officials with modest salaries built significant unexplained wealth through the scheme.
The corruption goes far beyond study visas. The SIU traced financial gains exceeding R181 million to beneficiaries of fraudulent visa applications. Investigators analysed more than one billion data points. One adjudicator earning R25,000 per month built a mansion and a tarred road with the proceeds. Furthermore, the SIU referred 275 criminal cases to the NPA. Twenty officials were dismissed since April 2025 and authorities actioned 100 deportations. As a result, the investigation has already produced real consequences for those implicated.
The investigation exposed high-profile figures in the corruption. The SIU implicated Shepherd Bushiri and Nigerian televangelist Timothy Omotoso in its findings on systemic corruption inside Home Affairs. Furthermore, a Nigerian national linked to a high-profile McLaren crash in Cape Town overstayed his visa, remained in South Africa illegally and later re-entered without a record. As a result, the corruption network extends well beyond low-level officials into spaces where religion, celebrity and organised crime intersect.
Schreiber described the findings as exposing the deepest failures in the department. “Administrative processes are now underway to cancel these visas. We will also ringfence any subsequent visas obtained by these same individuals to ensure that all irregularly-obtained documents are cancelled and that perpetrators are deported or prosecuted as required,” he said. Furthermore, he confirmed the green barcoded ID book remains South Africa’s most vulnerable identity document. Approximately 16 million of them remain in circulation. As a result, Schreiber made replacing them with Smart IDs a priority alongside the immigration fraud crackdown.
President Cyril Ramaphosa authorised the investigation under Proclamation 154 of 2024 after a whistleblower alleged foreign nationals obtained asylum seeker permits through collusion with corrupt officials. ATM leader Vuyo Zungula formally asked Ramaphosa to initiate treason charges against more than 20 implicated officials. Furthermore, the SIU described the immigration system as a marketplace where officials sold permits and visas to the highest bidder. As a result, the Home Affairs corruption scandal sits at the heart of South Africa’s ongoing national debate about immigration, border security and the integrity of the state.
Editors Note All allegations are based on the SIU interim report presented to Parliament on 23 February 2026 and subsequent announcements by Minister Leon Schreiber. All individuals named are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Mzansi Today Live will update this article as further information becomes available.