A former official of the Department of Home Affairs, Mr. Mdunwazi Amos Ngwenyama (47), was convicted and sentenced to 14 years of direct imprisonment for corruption by the Giyani Specialized Commercial Crimes Court on April 19, 2024.
In December 2021, Ngwenyama registered and issued a fraudulent birth certificate for an individual not listed in the Department of Home Affairs’ system at the time. He gave the certificate to Mr. Peter Baloyi (38), who acted as an intermediary, and in return, received R1,000 in cash.
Investigations revealed that the certificate was intended for a Zimbabwean national. This information was reported to the Thohoyandou unit of the Hawks Serious Corruption Investigation section, which operationalized the information, leading to both Ngwenyama and Baloyi’s arrests on December 8, 2021.
Baloyi was apprehended in the Malamulele area, while Ngwenyama was arrested while on duty at the Department of Home Affairs office in Malamulele.
Both appeared before the Malamulele District Court and were released on bail of R1,000 each.
Ngwenyama received an eight-year direct imprisonment sentence for corruption and a six-year direct imprisonment sentence for fraud. Both sentences will run concurrently, and he was also declared unfit to possess a firearm.
Baloyi pleaded guilty on September 18, 2023, at the Giyani Specialized Commercial Crimes Court and received a sentence of five years imprisonment and/or a fine of R6,000. He also received an additional two years imprisonment, suspended for five years, on the condition that he does not commit a similar offense.
The Provincial Head of the Hawks in Limpopo Province, Major General, praised the sentence and commended the excellent work done.
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