Sixty-three travel documents valued at E9 450 have been reported stolen from the Ministry of Home Affairs offices in Siteki, Eswatini. The documents were discovered missing on September 14, 2026, at around 7am. According to a police report, an unknown person or persons allegedly stole the documents. This incident raises concerns about the security and control of such documents at the point where they are kept before being issued to members of the public.
The Ministry of Home Affairs is conducting wide-ranging investigations into alleged corruption and irregularities involving the issuing and handling of national documents. In March 2026, the ministry launched a 20-year internal investigation into some of its officers following a crackdown on alleged corruption involving the issuance of State documents. The investigation aimed to establish when the alleged illicit activities started and followed the arrest and suspension of officers allegedly implicated in the irregular issuance of State documents.
The ministry’s Communications Officer, Mlandvo Dlamini, stated that they were aware of the incident and would investigate the issue through the assistance of the relevant authorities. Dlamini extended an apology to the members of the public whose travel documents were stolen. He expressed regret that such an incident occurred at a time when the ministry was mourning the passing of its Minister, Senator Princess Lindiwe.
This incident is significant against the background of previous investigations into the alleged theft, sale, and fraudulent issuance of passports and other documents at the ministry. In August 2025, an investigation into the fraudulent issuance of an Eswatini identity document to South African businessman Vusimuzi ‘Cat’ Matlala opened a wider investigation into activities at the Ministry of Home Affairs. The investigation uncovered an alleged organised crime syndicate operating within the ministry.
The August 2025 report stated that investigations had uncovered alleged unauthorised actions involving work permits, births, marriages, and deaths. There were also allegations of passports being fraudulently issued through a process involving the swapping of photographs between a liSwati and a foreign national. The investigation revealed allegations that bribes were being taken to assist people in avoiding queues or paying fines for overstaying in the country.
The investigation into the alleged syndicate led to the arrest of a Zimbabwean national, Delight Moyo, who was alleged to have acted as a middleman between immigration officers and customers seeking documents. Moyo was found in possession of five stolen Eswatini passports and was accused of using a fraudulent passport to enter and leave the country. He was also accused of offering a E2 100 bribe to a public officer to stamp fraudulent passports.
The ministry had already conducted an internal investigation in 2022 into the alleged sale of refugee status and passports, resulting in the transfer of more than 100 Immigration officers in 2023. The theft of security documents was also reported to have become serious enough for government to plan the installation of a E3.99 million security surveillance system at the Immigration Office.
Key points
- The Ministry of Home Affairs is conducting a 20-year internal investigation into alleged corruption involving the issuance of State documents.
- An alleged organised crime syndicate operating within the ministry was uncovered in August 2025.
- The stolen travel documents were valued at E9 450.
