Home Affairs investigates sale of South African passports and visas in Dubai

Home Affairs Minister Leon Scheiber says his department will support an investigation by the Department of International Relations and Co-operation (Dirco) into reports of a South African Diplomat in Dubai allegedly selling visas and passports to United Arab Emirates (UAE) citizens wishing to come to South Africa.

This comes after the Sunday Times reported that Andrew Tsepo Lebona, South Africa’s consul-general in Dubai, committed several security breaches.

Affected visa’s to be cancelled  

In a social media post on X Schreiber said: “Home Affairs will support the urgent investigation of this DIRCO employee to cancel the affected visas,” he said.

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Corruption a threat to national security

Schreiber said corruption within the Home Affairs Department threatened national security.

“As I warned in Parliament this week, corruption that threatens our national security will continue in the absence of wholesale digital transformation,” continued Schreiber on X.

According to the Sunday Times, Lebona had also used his position to grant his adult son a diplomatic passport and connect him to business deals in the UAE.

“Other officials said Tumelo Lebona was using his father’s position to solicit business opportunities in the UAE and had travelled to South Africa with businesspeople from the wealthy nation for similar purposes,” reported the Sunday Times.

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Lebona has now been recalled to South Africa and has been asked to explain himself.

Lebona was employed by Dirco but also represents the Department of Home Affairs in Dubai. He performs various functions for South Africans in the city including issuing them with travel documents.

Lebona is one of several Home Affairs officials who has been caught selling passports and other crucial documents.

He is responsible for assisting South Africans living or holidaying in Dubai should they encounter legal and other problems requiring government intervention.

According to the government insiders, the probe found that Lebona arranged for his 45-year-old son, Tumelo Michael Lebona, to be issued a UAE diplomatic visa even though he did not meet the qualifying criteria — being younger than 25 or in the employ of Dirco.