South African diplomat in Dubai faces allegations of passport trafficking
Home Affairs has stated that it will take strict action against a South African diplomat in Dubai accused of selling visas and passports to UAE citizens.
The Sunday Times reported over the weekend that a South African diplomat in Dubai is being investigated for national security violations.
This includes selling passports and visas to citizens of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Accordingly, the Department of Home Affairs says it will fully support investigations into the South African diplomat in Dubai, reports The Citizen.
Furthermore, this ill-timed insubordination comes in the wake of the Chiddima Adetshina debacle. The former Miss South Africa contestant’s citizenship is believed to be illegal, following her mother’s alleged identity theft decades ago.
SOUTH AFRICAN DIPLOMAT IN DUBAI
Now, desperate to take swift action, Home Affairs Minister Leon Scheiber says his department will support the Department of International Relations and Co-operation (DIRCO) investigation. Plus, he confirmed Home Affairs will urgently cancel any affected visas. The South African Diplomat in Dubai alleged to have sold passports and visas is Andrew Tsepo Lebona (pictured).
According to reports, Lebona also used his standing to issue his son, Tumelo Michael Lebona (45), a diplomatic passport. This allowed him to connect with lucrative businessmen in the UAE. His son has travelled repeatedly to South Africa with UAE citizens for business purposes. Accordingly, the South African diplomat in Dubai has been recalled to South Africa to explain himself.
HOME AFFAIRS EMPLOYEE
Understandably, the optics are not great for Minister Schreiber’s crusade against corruption at Home Affairs. Lebona represents both DIRCO and Home Affairs in the emirates. Therefore, he is entrusted with assisting South Africans in Dubai if they encounter problems that require government intervention.
In response to the news, Schreiber says corruption within Home Affairs is threatening its national security. And it will continue until ‘wholesale digital transformation’ takes place within the department. We will update you with the latest happenings as the investigation progresses …