NPA SECURES FIVE-YEAR SENTENCE FOR IMMIGRATION ACT CONTRAVENTION
BY: CHANON LECODEY MERRICKS | ONLINE EDITOR
NPA SECURES FIVE-YEAR SENTENCE FOR IMMIGRATION ACT CONTRAVENTION
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) in Mpumalanga welcomes the successful prosecution and swift finalisation of a case against 42-year-old Mozambican national, Carlos David Mlambo, who has been sentenced to five years' imprisonment for contravening Section 49(15)(b)(iii) of the Immigration Act 13 of 2002.
The conviction stems from an incident on 30 July 2026 when Mlambo was travelling from Mozambique towards the Lebombo Border Post. During a routine inspection, Immigration Security officials stopped and searched him and discovered 16 Mozambican passports belonging to individuals who were not present at the border.
Upon questioning, Mlambo admitted that he had been entrusted with the passports in Mozambique and instructed to facilitate the stamping of the travel documents at both the Mozambican and South African border posts before returning them to their lawful owners in KwaZulu-Natal.
The matter was initially enrolled in the Komatipoort Magistrate's Court before being transferred to the Boschfontein Regional Court, where Mlambo pleaded guilty.
In aggravation of sentence, State Advocate Beauty Afrika argued that offences of this nature undermine the State's efforts to regulate migration effectively and maintain the integrity of border management systems. She submitted that the unlawful handling of travel documents weakens compliance with immigration laws, erodes public confidence in lawful migration processes, and creates opportunities for further abuse of the immigration system.
The court sentenced Mlambo to five years' imprisonment, of which two years were suspended for three years on condition that he is not convicted of a similar offence during the period of suspension.
The court further ordered that the 16 passports be referred to the Department of Home Affairs for further investigation and verification of the immigration stamps and endorsements contained in the travel documents.
The NPA commends the vigilance and professionalism of the Immigration Security officials whose swift action led to the detection of the offence and the subsequent prosecution.
This successful prosecution demonstrates the commitment of the NPA and its law enforcement partners to protecting the integrity of South Africa's borders, safeguarding lawful immigration processes, and ensuring accountability for conduct that threatens the effective administration of immigration control.
The NPA remains steadfast in its commitment to upholding the rule of law and supporting efforts aimed at securing the country's ports of entry against criminal abuse.
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