North West CFO Accused of Fraudulent Residence, Faces Deportation and Investigation

In a striking revelation from the South African government, Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has disclosed that Kudakwashe Mpofu, the CFO of the North West Development Corporation, is illegally residing in the country with forged documentation. This announcement heightens the ongoing discourse on immigration control and employment integrity within government entities.

Mpofu, who has been occupying a high-caliber position within the government, was suspended following investigations that unveiled his permanent residence permit as fraudulent. Authorities indicated that his purported document's permit number does not match any on record, and the control number it bears was rightfully assigned to another individual.

The circumstances surrounding Mpofu's acquisition of these bogus documents remain unclear. Nevertheless, the situation has sparked a widespread inquiry leading to the involvement of the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) to conduct further investigations.

The Home Affairs Minister revealed the unsettling tendency of individuals in prominent government roles found with fraudulent documents. The department’s resolve to combat this malfeasance has been demonstrated by the ongoing inquiry into the matter by the SIU, alongside the petitioning for a ministerial task team led by former director-general Cassius Lubisi.

This alleged fraud is not an isolated incident. The department previously uncovered that prophet Shepherd Bushiri was illegally in the country, which led to disciplinary petitions from home affairs officials, now under the microscope of the ministerial task team.

Minister Motsoaledi expressed frustration with the failure of internal checks from the human resources division of the North West department of economic development and has engaged with the acting premier of North West, Nono Maloyi, about the case. Moreover, there's rising concern over why the initial discovery of this fraudulent activity was not promptly reported to the police by home affairs officials.

The investigation has compounded into a larger review of visa issues within the department as per the findings of Lubisi’s report prompting the involvement of President Cyril Ramaphosa. The president is expected to issue a proclamation for the SIU to extend its investigation into visa matters.

As the investigations continue, the message from the Home Affairs department is clear – there is a systemic problem that needs rigorous attention, and those involved in such fraudulent activities will face the full force of the law.