Zimbabweans held for South Africa ID fraud

via Zimbabweans held for South Africa ID fraud – New Zimbabwe 28 June 2014 by South Africa Correspondent

TWO South African based Zimbabweans, who abandoned their original citizenship to buy fake South African identity documents, have been charged with fraud.

Some officials from South Africa’s Home Affairs ministry are also now under investigations for issuing out fake documents, which included a passport.

The Zimbabweans were nabbed during a joint operation by South Africa’s country’s elite police unit – the Hawks – backed by the Department of Home Affairs.

“In a joint sting operation by Home Affairs and the Hawks, a Zimbabwean national was today (Friday) arrested in Pretoria for an alleged identity fraud,” said Nora Pitsi, an official with the Counter-Corruption unit in the South African Home Affairs.

“The suspect allegedly stole someone’s identity and allegedly obtained ID and passport.”

The suspect also allegedly opened a bank account using the victim’s details.

Pitsi said their probe into the fake identity documents scandal would now extend to the country’s Home Affairs officials or any other person involved in the fraud.

It was not however, clear whether the Zimbabweans, after they had obtained the fake identity documents, went on to defraud unsuspecting shop owners.

Some Zimbabweans, desperate to remain in South Africa, have resorted to colluding with corrupt South African Home Affairs officials to obtain the documents.