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Illegal senior managers may be sent back home

Frank Maponya

Frank Maponya

Two senior officials in the Limpopo department of agriculture face possible deportation following allegations that they worked in the country illegally.

The two were arrested on July 24 after they obtained South African documents fraudulently. They come from Swaziland and had arrived in the country illegally.

The officials were identified as Nelisiwe Sithole and Msunduza Hamilton Dlamini.

Sithole, 32, worked as senior manager for land and agrarian reform at the department's head office in Polokwane since May 2005, while Dlamini, 34, worked as manager in the same directorate since January this year.

In her position, Sithole earned R502000 a year, which translates to R41800 a month, while Dlamini earned R28000 a month for the six months he worked in the department.

Documents in Sowetan's possession indicated the two came into South Africa early in 1996 and obtained their documents in 1997.

It was discovered they had obtained identity documents and passports fraudulently.

Departmental spokesman Mantshele Tau said during a trans-Atlantic interview yesterday the matter was still under investigation.

Sithole and Dlamini come from the same village of Mhlume in Mbabane, Swaziland, and attended the same school there.

They were released on R10000 bail each on July 25 with conditions that they report to the Home Affairs offices in Polokwane every Monday and Friday until the matter was finalised in court.

The two will appear in court again on November 14 to be given a trial date.

Officials in the agriculture department could not be reached for comment.

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