Home Affairs Minister Dr Leon Schreiber has welcomed the arrest of a Border Management Authority (BMA) official accused of accepting a bribe to unlawfully endorse the passport of a Lesotho national at the Maseru Port of Entry.
The arrest forms part of ongoing efforts to combat corruption and strengthen South Africa’s immigration system.
The official was arrested on Thursday, 9 July 2026, following a joint investigation involving the Department of Home Affairs’ Counter Corruption branch, the South African Police Service Crime Intelligence division and the Ladybrand Detectives.
The official allegedly accepted R600 on 29 June 2026 to unlawfully endorse the passport of a Lesotho national who had not presented herself at the immigration counter as required by law.
The alleged offence came to light after the Lesotho national was arrested by the South African Police Service in an unrelated matter.
Investigators later established that payment had allegedly been made through intermediaries to facilitate the unlawful passport endorsement, leading authorities to identify the BMA official allegedly responsible for the fraudulent immigration stamp.
The accused has been charged with corruption and is expected to appear in the Ladybrand Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 13 July 2026.
Schreiber said corrupt officials undermining South Africa’s border management system would be identified, arrested and prosecuted.
The investigation remains ongoing, and authorities indicated that further arrests may follow.
