Cape town: Home Affairs Minister, Dr. Leon Schreiber, has welcomed the conviction of a dismissed official, Dawn Pieterson, who has been found guilty on nine counts of fraud and two counts of contravening the Births and Deaths Registration Act.

According to South African Government News Agency, Pieterson was formerly employed at the Department of Home Affairs office in Calvinia in the Northern Cape. She abused her access to departmental records to commit fraud and corruption between February 2019 and September 2022. Pieterson opened funeral policies using clients’ identity numbers, nominated herself as the beneficiary, and falsely declared the ID holders deceased to access payouts.

The department stated it would continue to monitor the case as Pieterson is scheduled for sentencing on 26 January 2026. Dr. Schreiber highlighted that this conviction marks the ninth successful outcome through collaboration between the department and law enforcement agencies, noting that it also follows the dismissal of 37 officials since July 2024.

Dr. Schreiber applauded the department’s Counter Corruption unit, along with partners in the Hawks and other entities, for their role in securing this conviction. He emphasized the importance of their digital transformation agenda, which aims to eliminate human discretion and interference by fully automating departmental processes through initiatives like the Electronic Travel Authorisation for visas and Digital ID for civic services.

The Minister reiterated the department’s commitment to using technology to close loopholes exploited by criminals and to incarcerate corrupt officials, underscoring that such measures are crucial in combating corruption effectively.