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Fake passports, IDs a 'crisis'
13/09/2005 18:17 - (SA)
Cape Town - Immigration officials and MPs have described as "a crisis" the increased use of fraudulent South African passports and identity documents by foreigners .
At the national assembly home affairs committee on Tuesday, committee chairperson Patrick Chauke said South Africa was "really under siege by illegals who are coming to the country, acquiring our documents illegally".
"Illegal marriages are taking place every day. In the Northern Cape, we know of a syndicate that was operating that (arranged) legal marriages, deliberately for Pakistanis," said Chauke.
Fake passports ID documents
Chauke said: "Anyone can come if he wants to. There's a crisis here."
A senior immigration officer in Cape Town, Danny Malan, told the committee a courier company in the city had called him on July 25.
The company had received three pairs of shoes from two Cameroonian nationals to be sent from Cape Town to Cameroon.
On closer inspection, two South African passports and identity documents were found hidden in a pair of shoes.
"(These were) blank passports, possibly stolen from somewhere, possibly government printers - we don't know - and then forged to contain the details. This was then going to be sent away to Cameroon."
One passport already had a departure stamp - dated July 30 - as if someone had left the country, but the two men were arrested on July 25.
They appeared in court, and were released on R1 500 bail each, despite the department opposing bail.
Fraudulent foreign nationals
Chief immigration officer Shaun Fortuin, stationed at Cape Town International Airport, told the committee the number of foreign nationals trying to leave the country with fake South African passports had increased in recent months.
"We've arrested quite a few. On August 17 we arrested a Pakistani national who attempted to leave Cape Town for London. He produced a South African passport".
The passport was clearly fraudulent, and the man's luggage was searched.
A South African birth certificate, marriage certificate and identity document, all on official paper, were found.
The man was arrested, appeared in court, and also granted R1 500 bail.
Further investigation of the marriage certificate traced a South African woman in Port Elizabeth. She was indeed married to a Pakistani national, but he was not the same man arrested at Cape Town airport, said Fortuin.
82 officials being investigated
Chauke noted that South African birth certificates had no security features at all.
Home affairs director-general Mzuvukile Maqetuka said his department, the government printing works, and the SA information technology agency (Sita) all shared responsibility "for this mess".
About 82 officials, including senior officials, had recently been suspended and were under investigation for corruption.
- SAPA
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