Two Department of Home Affairs officials, Aluwani Andries Netshidaulu and Ntombifuthi Phyllis Mokwebo, appeared in the Protea Glen Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, 30 September 2026, facing serious charges of racketeering, corruption, fraud, and Immigration Act violations.
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The court appearance follows a major takedown operation executed under ‘Project Humulani,’ an intensive, multi-agency investigation launched by the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation unit and Home Affairs Counter-Corruption in April 2022 to dismantle illegal document networks across Krugersdorp, Kliptown, Fairlands, and Tubatse.
The photo-swap modus operandi and massive financial payouts
Investigative findings revealed that the syndicate operated a photo-swapping scheme by pairing legitimate South African identity credentials with photographs of foreign nationals to produce official travel documentation. Foreign buyers were charged steep fees ranging between R50,000 and R100,000 for each fraudulent passport.
[HOME AFFAIRS OFFICIALS FRAUDULENTLY GIVING FOREIGNERS PASSPORTS]
Aluwani Andries Netshidaulu and Ntombifuthi Phyllis Mokwebo appeared before the Protea Magistrates’ Court after their arrest on 29 September 2026 during a takedown operation conducted under Project Humulani. The… pic.twitter.com/BSEcUp5kZJ
— Justice, Crime Prevention and Security (@CrimeWatch_RSA) September 30, 2026
The implicated Home Affairs officials allegedly received kickbacks of R10,000 to R15,000 per application. Meanwhile, vulnerable South African citizens who knowingly supplied their personal ID details to legitimise the applications were compensated with payments as low as R500.
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Court outcome, asset seizures, and broader syndicate crackdown
During their court appearance alongside convicted Pakistani national Arfan Ahmad, who is currently serving a 14-year sentence for his role as a syndicate kingpin, Netshidaulu and Mokwebo were granted R5,000 bail each without opposition. The matter was officially postponed to 4 November 2026 for further investigation and legal representation.
Law enforcement agencies confirmed that Project Humulani has already led to the seizure of three luxury Toyota Fortuner SUVs and the blocking or cancellation of several hundred fraudulent passports.
Authorities emphasise that the investigation remains active and additional arrests are expected as financial trails and network connections are fully unravelled.
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