Crime

MBABANE - True to Minister of Home Affairs Princess Lindiwe’s warning that government would act against fraud at the ministry, decisive action has now been taken against employees implicated in the identity theft scheme.

The dismissals follow a major investigation that uncovered the theft and misuse of personal identification details belonging mainly to elderly Swati women. These identities were reportedly used to register non-citizens as their ‘children’, allowing them to access Eswatini national documents, including birth certificates, identity cards and later passports.

In delivering its ruling, the Civil Service Commission (CSC), chaired by Simanga Mamba, stated that typists Sandra Dlamini and Penelope Kunene, who were based in Hlatikhulu, knowingly printed barcodes and processed documentation without any supporting paperwork. The commission observed that the pair facilitated the issuance of birth certificates and identity documents for foreign nationals whose registration clearly violated established procedures.

The investigation was triggered when police apprehended several individuals who attempted to travel using Eswatini passports yet were found to be Ethiopian nationals. According to Assistant National Civil Registrar Ncamsile Maseko, who testified during the disciplinary hearing, the revelation prompted the Principal Secretary (PS) in the Ministry of Home Affairs to order a full internal investigation.

She explained that an audit of the National Population Registry revealed the use of specific user login IDs linked to the two typists. The audit trail further showed that Assistant Regional Civil Registrar identified as Zwane, who was based at the Mbabane Headquarters, had processed the irregular birth certificates before Dlamini printed the documents and barcodes.

What alarmed investigators was the fact that the birth certificates were registered and approved on the same day the barcodes were generated. Maseko added that this was impossible under normal circumstances, because late registrations require affidavits explaining why the birth was not registered within 60 days, along with supporting documents that must be reviewed and approved by the registrar.

She told the commission that the absence of any such documents showed a clear abuse of the system. The CSC also noted that the surnames of the individuals involved were of foreign origin, which should have raised immediate suspicion, particularly for an experienced typist familiar with national registration patterns.

During the hearing, Dlamini pleaded not guilty to the charge of misconduct under Section 49 of the Public Service Act of 2018. She claimed she had acted after receiving instructions from Zwane, whom she regarded as a superior. She further argued that she had never been fully inducted into her duties and was, therefore, unaware of all required procedures.

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CSC Chairman Simanga Mamba.