Former DHA official guilty of 66 fraud counts in fake passport case

The 34-year-old was found guilty on 1 October 2026 in the Durban Specialised Commercial Crimes Court in KwaZulu-Natal.

The accused was found guilty on 66 counts of fraud, 66 counts of corruption, 66 counts of Contravention of the Immigration Act and 66 counts of Contravention of the Identification Act.

“The charges are related to activities which took place between February 2022 and July 2023, wherein a group of South African citizens allegedly facilitated the fraudulent acquisition of South African passports by foreign nationals at a Department of Home Affairs (DHA) office in Pietermaritzburg,” said the Hawks in a statement on Friday, 2 October.

The unlawful activities took place outside of regular business hours, including evenings, weekends and public holidays, when the DHA offices were officially closed. These unlawful activities resulted in a case being opened for investigation by the Serious Corruption Investigation Unit.

“The accused has been in custody since his arrest,” said the Hawks, adding that he will appear in court again on 13 November 2026.