Everson Luhanga
A Zimbabwean national has been arrested for running a fully functioning Department of Home Affairs at his house in Hillbrow, Johannesburg.
Sergeant Mduduzi Zondo of Hillbrow police has confirmed to Scrolla.Africa that the man was manufacturing fake identity documents, Sassa cards, bank cards, drivers’ licences, birth certificates, matric certificates, Covid certificates, and even competence certificates for firearms.
Zondo said police discovered hard drives, computers, scanners, printers, and other machines used to manufacture the illegal documents. At the time the police pounced on him, he was printing out documents to be delivered to his clients.
When the officers asked about his own passport, as he is from Zimbabwe, he couldn’t produce one and he claimed to the officers that it was lost.
The police officials said they received a tipoff about the illegal activities and went to investigate. “When police arrived, the man was busy printing some of the documents and he was caught red-handed.”
Earlier on the same morning, Gauteng provincial police commissioner, Lieutenant General Elias Mawela, conducted an okae molao operation in the Johannesburg city centre where he visited MTN Noord and Wanderers taxi ranks, which are arguably the busiest taxi ranks in the country.
He told Scrolla.Africa that more than 800 suspects have been arrested since Wednesday evening for crimes including murder, attempted murder, robbery, and possession of illegal firearms.
Before the operation finished, Mawela was alerted by his colleagues at the Hillbrow police station to the fact that the Zimbabwe national was found in possession of several documents in the flat where he lived.
Speaking to the media at the Hillbrow police station, General Mawela said preliminary investigations showed that the suspect had been in business for a considerable amount of time.
After Scrolla.Africa posted the photos and videos of the arrested man in Hillbrow on Thursday, social media users had a lot to say.
Some suggested the suspect should be given a job at the Department of Home Affairs as he could help many people at his house – and they wouldn’t even have to stand in long queues.
Another person tagged transport minister Fikile Mbalula telling him that if this guy could make drivers’ licences at ease, why did the country have to send the only broken machine to Germany. “They could have borrowed from the man instead of for the country to suffer.”
Dreamer on Twitter said “while the country waits for the 1 driver’s license printing machine to be fixed this one could print them in his house 🥴🤦🏾♂️ ya neh 😐😅😂”
Zondo said the suspect will appear in the Johannesburg Commercial court on Tuesday next week. He will spend the Easter weekend in cold police cells.
