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Drastic measures have helped curb corruption at O.R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, Home Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma said on Friday.

“There was a lot of corruption there. People were coming in [to South Africa] without visas, who should have visas, and there were even things like ghost travellers,” she told a business briefing in Sandton.

“Where people have come into South Africa and when it is time for them to leave, the immigration officer takes their passport and scans it through the machine, but they don’t leave.” 

Dlamini-Zuma said her department had removed the old home affairs team tasked at the airport and had replaced it with a new one from the military.

“Not all of them were corrupt, but enough of them were corrupt... The ones that remained, we took them through a course for a year,” she said.

Dlamini-Zuma said the difference was evident in statistics on the number of people turned back while trying to enter the country.

“Some of them still think it is the old system. They come hoping that they will get through and they don’t.” 

The new system would be expanded to other airports and ports of entry, she said.

Dlamini-Zuma said there was no place for corruption in her department.  

“Where there is corruption, we try and deal with it swiftly so that people know there is no place for corruption,” she said.

“But what has helped us a lot; we have worked with the public. Even in terms of improving service delivery... Because of that we have had a lot of success even with corruption.”

Comments

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Sat May 25 11:14:38 SAST 2013 ::

Jul 6, 2012

mathopeed

Yea good initiative. But please check those who steal our property's in Garbage sections.
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Jul 6, 2012

B4LES

Good Minister. I always trusted you that you do not belong this group of corrupt ANC members. The historical movement such as ANC has been infested by hooligans and alians. But minister, why thugs or drug mules pass easily trhough OR Thambo to Cape Town. We recently read of two incidents this weak alone?
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Jul 6, 2012

DjEp

But that means your new bunch is not working as well. in the last week alone two people went through with Drugs and were stopped at others ariports that must say your current bunch is worse than the previous one. You have closed one hole and opened many, so get rid of all of them privatise the airports and we will see results.
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Jul 6, 2012

Kgonatsagago

It doesnt seem like your new staff are doing a better job than the old ones unless you do not read the news.
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Jul 6, 2012

Segodithomas

She does not take *nonsese that why she left JZ.
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Jul 6, 2012

Budapat

at last you zoomed into ORTIA minister, I hope JZ ain't gonna send you somewhere else after the second transition. well done
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Jul 6, 2012

Ney3

mission accomplish by the minister....perhaps you deserve to the president
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Jul 6, 2012

Lehido

Good work, Keep it up...I just hope the Spear man doesnt move you to Department of water Affairs
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Jul 6, 2012

JohnStone

Some of the comments herein reveal alarming level of ignorance, appalling. "Why drugs are going through O R Tambo if Home Affairs is doing such a good job", "Cape Town being better than O R Tambo". Rubbish guys, drugs are going through most of the airports around the world, not only in RSA. Gee, guys, we know that some of you support the opposition not the ANC but the truth remains the truth no matter what, Home Affairs has been turned around, not completly but considerably so. It is not the duty of Home Affairs (Immigration) to deal with drugs or illicit goods, Home affairs deals with people entering or exiting our country, legality of entering or exiting the country. The issue of what these people are carrying in their "dreadlocks, panties, swallowed condoms, corpses of abducted and murderd children etc" belongs to security (Acsa security, Saps, Hawks, NIA, MI etc) based at the ports of entry. Please, if some of you have nothing to say at all, please go say it somewhere and stop wasting yours, ours and your employer's time.
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Jul 6, 2012

MGEEZ

I have always have a soft spot for this Minister because of her levels of competency and her inability to tolerate mediocrity. once again well done Minister Zuma; i wish that your ex husband could borrow few things from you in this regard!!!!
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