Home Affairs immigration officer sentenced for corruption
Khuliso Ravele reportedly demanded a R300 bribe from a foreign national who needed her passport to be stamped.
Former immigration official at Home Affairs Khuliso Ravele was sentenced to four years behind bars, wholly suspended for five years.
The Musina Magistrate’s Court found Ravele guilty of taking a R300 bribe from a foreign national. Spokesperson for the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) in Limpopo Captain Matimba Maluleke said that the incident occurred in October 2017.
What happened in October 2017?
According to Maluleke, a foreign national went to the Beitbridge Home Affairs offices. The woman needed assistance obtaining a stamp on her passport to extend her stay in SA.
At the offices, Ravele demanded that the woman pay R300 gratification, which she did.
“When she arrived at the offices, Ravele, who was an immigration officer offered to assist her but demanded R300 gratification which she paid,”
said Maluleke.
How was Ravele caught?
After the woman was assisted by Ravele, she was stopped by Border Police. They requested to see her passport and during interrogation, it was discovered that she paid Ravele in order to get her passport stamped.
Ravele was arrested and charged with corruption.
“The case was later transferred to the Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation for further probe. Ravele was out on bail until she was sentenced to four years imprisonment which is wholly suspended for five years. She was also ordered to undergo two years of correctional supervision at Sibasa Court,” said Maluleke.
Zimbabwe nationals can stay in SA a bit longer, Home Affairs decides
Previously, it was reported that the Department of Home Affairs has decided to extend the Zimbabwe Exemption Permit (ZEP). This means that those that were meant to leave South Africa by December can stay a bit longer.
Zimbabweans were dreading spending Christmas in their home country as the Home Affairs Department was to put an end to the exemption permits.
This meant that those from Zimbabwe who were in South Africa on this permit had to apply for other visas to allow them to remain in the country. At least 20 000 Zimbabwe nationals who are in the country for economic reasons would be affected. Read the full story here.
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