A 35-year-old Department of Home Affairs employee and a 47-year-old woman have been arrested in Kokstad in KwaZulu-Natal in connection with alleged fake birth registrations.

Captain Simphiwe Mhlongo said the pair had been arrested on Tuesday by the Hawks’ Commercial Crime Unit in Durban in conjunction with Department of Home Affairs Counter Corruption officials.

“Officers had received information about a 19-year-old Lesotho woman who was mysteriously in possession of a South African identity document. An intensive investigation was conducted and it led the investigators to a house in Shayamoya‚ Kokstad. A search was conducted and 19 fully completed Late Birth Registration (LRB) application forms were found. A 47-year-old woman was subsequently arrested.

Birth certificates renamed to cut down confusionUnabridged birth certificates have been renamed abridged birth certificates‚ but travellers to SA will not receive advisories on the documentation they require until 2017‚ says Department of Home Affairs director-general Mkuseli Apleni. 

“The investigation proceeded to Kokstad Department of Home Affair Offices where an on-duty official was arrested‚” Mhlongo said.

The suspects had been charged with fraud and are due to appear in the Durban Specialised Commercial Court on Thursday‚ Mhlongo added.