An outdated, handwritten and non-complaint application form , lack of police clearance certificates and an agent making submission on behalf of all applicants.
These are some of the discrepancies home affairs minister Leon Schrieber says were found during investigations into how 95 Libyans arrested at a military training camp in White River, Mpumalanga, acquired their visas.
Investigations have revealed that there was no indication on some application forms that the applicants were applying for study visas, but an official at the diplomatic mission “decided to grant [them] study visas”.
It said an official from the department of international relations and cooperation (Dirco) in Tunis bypassed standard protocols due to offline systems. Critical information such as the place of birth were omitted in some applications, while other applicants did not provide addresses in their country of origin.
These revelations in parliament came just two days after the Libyans were deported on Sunday. Their deportation happened just a few days after the National Prosecuting Authority dropped the charge of contravention of the Immigration Act the group was facing, saying there were no prospects of a successful prosecution.
Schrieber said this was one of the cases that posed a threat to national security. “They are symptoms of a systemic crisis that threaten the national security interests of the Republic,” he said .
Home affairs director-general Tommy Makhode said the official indicated that the systems at the embassy were off-line at the time of issuance, “hence the handwritten documents”.
He said: “On July 18, 2024, the acting chief director confirmed with the Dirco mission in Tunis that the visa was valid and that 95 visas had been issued to Libyan nationals for training at the White River Academy.
“The acting chief director questioned the Dirco official on why the documents were issued without consulting her supervisors or the desk at Dirco. These visas were handwritten, a practice that raised serious concerns, given the potential for forgery and misrepresentation.”
Makhode said the official informed the acting chief director that she received no response from the desk and, therefore, proceeded with issuing the documents. “The official also confirmed verbally, when questioned, that she did not consult, seek advice or obtain authorisation from the department of home affairs,” he said.
Koena Mashale
www.sowetanlive.co.za
