An agent told TNW that she had had passengers denied boarding by immigration officials from the Department of Home Affairs. Immigration officials told the travellers that they did not have the right documentation. These passengers were then either asked for a cash bribe, or told to transfer money into a private bank account.
The travellers that did not pay the bribes were later informed by the Department of Home Affairs that their documentation was correct.
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When TNW brought this allegation to the attention of the Department of Home Affairs, a spokesperson said: “As a matter of principle, the department has a zero-tolerance approach to fraud and corruption. Those found to be involved in these activities will be dealt with according to the prescripts of the law.” The department has asked for the specifics of each case so that they can conduct a full-scale investigation.
This story has been updated since publication to include more information.
