Durban - A Home Affairs cashier was arrested at her Pinetown offices on Wednesday for allegedly stealing R132 000 in cash from the department.
The woman, whose name is being withheld until she appears in court on Thursday, allegedly stole the money last month.
Home Affairs eThekwini district manager Tersia Hanekom said the 34-year-old had been put under surveillance after it was discovered that the money was stolen last month.
“She has been working for the department for 10 years. An investigation was conducted and all the evidence gathered from October pointed to her, and today (Wednesday) the police arrested her while she was at work,” Hanekom said.
She said once the theft was detected, an internal audit was carried out without the knowledge of the suspect.
Hanekom said stringent measures were in place to curb crime in the department. She said officials knew about the measures but tried to bypass the system. She said this was a nationwide phenomenon.
In September, a clerk at the Umgeni office was arrested for demanding a R500 bribe from a man who wanted emergency travel documents for Mozambique.
Hanekom said there had been a number of incidents in the past few months where officers were arrested for various crimes, including theft.
“These arrests are part of the departmental anti-corruption drive. The Minister (Malusi Gigaba) initiated Operation Bvisa Masina to strengthen departmental systems. And those who think they can bypass these systems better be warned, because the department will do whatever it takes to put a stop to corrupt activities. This happens in various parts of the country, but we are able to detect these corrupt activities,” she said.
Hanekom appealed to employees to think about their future before engaging in criminal activities in the workplace.
“Please don’t throw your future away because if you are arrested and found guilty, you will never work for the department again.”
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